Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-10-14
& NUMBER 2

the reason why anarchism is such pernicioua
and damnable doctrine? Grinnen has i'm
formed us that anarchism was ON trial.
II that is the case, your Honor, very
well, you may sentence me, for am an an
| archist. believe with Buckle, with Paine,
Jefferson, with Emerson, with Spencer. and
| many other great thinkers OF this century that
the state OF caste and classes, the state whore
one class dominates and lives upon the labor OF
another class, and calls 1t order, should be
abolished. You may pronounce your sentence
upon me, honorable Judge, but let the world
know that in the year Ammo Domini 1886, In the
State OF Illinois, seven men We're sentenced to
death because they had not lost their faith in
the ultimate victory of liberty and justice. We
who have jeopardized our lives to save society
from the fiend that has grasped her by the
throat, that seeks her life-blood and devours
her substance; we, who would heal her bleed
ing wounds who would free her from the letters
you have wrought around her, from the misery
you have brought upon her-we are her
enemies We have preached dynamite, 1t is
said, and we have predicted from the lessons
history has taught us that the ruling classes OF
to-day would no more listen to the voice of rea-
SON than their predecessors and they would at
tempt by brute force to stay the march OF
progress. Are not all the large industries of
this once free country conducted under the sur
yeillance OF the police, the militia. and the
IF you think that by hanging us you can
stamp out the labor movement, then call your
hangman. But you will tread upon the spark.
everywhere, flames will blaze up. The ground
is on fire on which you stand. You cannot un-
derstand 1t. You do not believe in witchcraft,
but you do believe in 'conspiracies.' You want
to stamp out the conspirators, the agitators?
Ah stamp out everv factory lord who has grown
wealthy upon the unpaid labor of his employees; /;
stamp out every landlord who has amassed q
fortune from the rent Of overburdened working
men and farmers. You, gentlemen, are the
revolutionists. DO you, in your blindness,
think you can stop the tidal wave Of civilization
and human emancipation by facing few po-
Hcemen, a few Gatling guns, some regiments of
militia on the shore? Do you think you can
fathomable depths by erecting a few gallowses
in the perspective? You who oppose the natural
forces OF things, you are the real revolutionists
You and you alone are the conspirators and de-
structionists.
~Said the Court yesterday: These men refer
ring to the Board of Trade demonstration
sta rfea Ra out WIN the express purpose Of sackng
see what sense there would have been in such
an undertaking. But will assume that the
5000 workingmen who marched in that process
sion really intended to sack the building. In
this case they would have differed from the re-
spectacle Board OF Trade men in that they
sought TO recover the stolen property in law
try lawfully and unlawfully. This being q very
highly respectable profession, this court Of JUS
aRa d s 1ne that
the same thing. thank the Court for this con-
fession. 1t contains all that we have taught,
and for which we are to be hung, in q nutshell.
1t is a respectable profession when practiced by
the privileged class, but 1t is felony when
sorted to in selfpreservation by the other class.
This is order. This is the kind of order that
we have attempted, and are still trying as
long as we live, to abolish
Look upon the economic battlefield Look at
the starving pariahs, the miners in the Monon-
gahela Valley, or pass along the railroads Of
that great benefactor the most orderly and law
abiding citizen in the country, Jay Gould, and
then tell me whether this order has in it any
moral principle, and why it should be pre-
served. say that the preservation of such
order is criminal, is murderous. 1t means the
preservation OF the systematic slaughter of chill
dren and women in factories. And last, but not
least, it means the preservation of past strug-
giles and riots and bloodshed. That is your
der, gentlemen. Yes, and 1t is worthy OF you to
be the champions OF such an order. You are ex-
cellently fitted for that purpose. You have my
compliment.
These men, Grinnell said repeatedly, have
RaSses and Pb sse arc to
the unprinoipled rufiians. But the assertion is
an infamous falsehood. Articles have been reed
here from the Arbeiter Zeittolg and the Alarm to
show the dangerous character OF the defendants.
Those articles generally followed and COM
mented upon some atrocity committed by the
authorities upon striking workingmen. They
were picked out and read to you. Other articles
were not read to you. The other articles were not
what the state wanted. And upon these articles
falsehood when he says SO, says these men have
no principles.
"When anarchism gains its point there will
not longer be any use for policemen and militia
that the Russian General telegraphed to the
Car after no had massacred half of Moscow,
~Order is retored in Moscow" Anarchism does
not mean bloodshed, does not mean chaos,
arson and so forth. These monstrosities are
the characteristic features of capitalism. An
archism means peace and tranquility to all.
at is true that we have told the people time
and again that the great day of q change was
coming. 1t is true that we have called upon
the people to arm to prepare for that day. This
seems to be the ground upon which the verdict
Is to be sustained. But when long train Of
abuses and usurpations pursuing unvaryingly
the same objects evinces the design to reduce
the people under absolute despotism it is their
right and duty TO throw off such
Government and provide new guards
for their future safety This is
quotation from the Declaration Of Independence.
II you think you can crush out these IDEAS that
are gaining ground more and more every day,
il you would once more have people suffer the
penalty of death because they dare to tell the
truth, then l say you may call your hangman
and turn me and my friends over to him. We
have not told anything but the truth. I defy
you to show us whore we told a lie shall die
proudly and defantly in the cause of truth, as
so many martyrs have done whom could name
to you, and among them is Christ"