The Labor enquirer., 1886-11-27

/ 1uO uOPnL tuIO VI tuo CTOWu. fDuTluS Lu6
recent campaign the United Labor party
of South st. Louis developed extraordi-
nary strength. and the labor vote of this
the Twenty fourth ward st. Louis. was
larger than the combined vote of repub-
/ licans and democrats. The L. & O.
league "a thoroughly capit.listic organ
ization there as elsewhere) are very
bitter, and the visit of live Socialist,
with his doctrines of discomfort, was
not regarded with especlal favor.
During my stay in st. Louis visited
four K. ofL locals. In all of them l and
the cause / represent we're received with
kindness bordering on enthusiasm. |
had little to talk about but the case OF
our condemned comrades. was full of
that subject almost to the present ex-
clusion of every other, and after speak
ing half or three-quarters of an hour /
! felt that my brother Knights were with
me. although many of them afterwards
told me that before commenced they
we're deeply preiudiced. 1 am certain.
from what have already seen, that the
rank and file of the order are opposed
to the verdict, and that their influence
can be relied upon when necessary to be
used. Everywhere I 60 they are ap-
palled at the evidences of capitaIistic
diabolism manifested before, during aud
since the great trial. I have been also
agreeablv surprised at the progressive
and radical tendencies of the Knights.
The most ultra and pronounced express
sions are received with enthusiasm.
was made verv comfortable during
my nine davs' stay In st. Louis by the
comrades there, Knowing my desire
for ouietuess and seclusion lat least I
suppose they did) was quartered upon
one of the good German comrades.
Neither he nor his wife could speak
word of English nv knowledge of Ger
man is far from perfect; and our strug
giles to maintain conversational footing
were heroic but at times exasperating.
Every meal time we renewed the at
tempt at conversation, and though both
sides were frequently knocked out, we
all came manfully up to the scratch the
next round. AS for me, enjoyed it
hugely; hope nv host and his amiable
frau did also-I have my doubts, how
ever. 1 shall not soon forget the hospl-
talitv and excellent fare of Comrade
Krause and his wife.
There is some good working material
IN st. Lauis. We're it not for a resolu
ton formed when setting out, to make
little or no personal mention, I should
take great pleasure in naming several of
our good comrades there with words of
praise and admiration.
Tuesday, November 8, found me
whirIing over the G. & A. to Kansas
City. There I found our young friends,
Walter and Harry Vrooman, at their
post on the Labor Organizer. l also met
some good Anarchistic friends to whom
1 am under many obligations. 1t was
decided that my lecture on the trial
should be delivered on Saturday even
ing, which would give me plenty of time
to visit the Assem- blles, On Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday nights l met the
brothers at their different halls and
each time the visiting brother from
Chicago" was asked to speak. Again
and again 1 pleaded for justice (not
mercy) for my condemned comrades,
and always with the most gratifying sue
cess.
The meeting on Saturday evening was
held in one of the largest halls in the
city. About 800 people we're present,
and to them told the story of the hay
market tragedy and the great trial.
commenced my lecture by reclting
Mackay's grand poem, Eternal Justice"
l then made simple plea for Justice and
appealed to my hearers to sink preju-
dice and let reason prevail. l then re-
viewed many points of the testimony,
dwelling especially upon the contra
dictory statements of the policemen who
swore poor Fielden's life away, and the
circumstances attending the story of
tootironDv woa then
considered, and I told how Grinnell had
endeayored to use this young man, the
actual witness of the bomb throwing, for
the base purposes of the prosecution, and
failing in that had brought in this lying,
DEGRADED, debased wretch Gilmer to do
his dirty work. l showed the malicious
character of the prosecution, the facts
regarding the jury, the evidence of pref ::
udice on the part of the court and the
diabolism of the press. Reviewing the
action of Bonfeld in attempting to for
cibly disperse the meeting l declared
that if the entire crowd of invading po-
lice lad been killed the action would
have been ius tifiable under the clrcum.
stances, and cited Judge McAllister's
famous decision in support of my posi-
ton.
The eigbt-hour movem Mt was then
referred to and the determination OF
monop ly to crush the agitation at what
ever cost. l told the story of the man
with his satchel who stopped at the sa'
loon in Indianapolis and showed how
his description tailed with that of the
bomb thrower as described bv Burnett