The Labor enquirer., 1886-08-21

them, i SUPPOSE there were couple
| of hundred men at the head of the col
umn-the Cincinnati Rifle union. I
said at the head of the column they bore
the red fag-the red flag of liberty, o t
fraternity, of equality, of labor, all over
the world-the red flag, that emanci-
pater of labor, and l pointed out that
every other flag in the world repudiated
the worklngmau, and that he had no
shield and and no flag but the red one.
1 then referred to our country, and to
men saving that this was movement of
foreigners, and so on, in this country.
"I pointed out the fact that the desire
for right and the thirst for liberty aud
for justice was not foreign affair at all /;
it was one which concerned Americans
as much as foreigners, and that patriot
ism was humbug in this connection ;
that 1t was used to separate the people,
to divide them, and to antagonize them
against each other; that the Irish were
separated and their national feeling wa
kept alive as against an Englishman n
order that the exploiters and depre
daJors upon them might more easily
make them victims and use them 'as
their tools. I referred in that connec-
ton to land monopoly and showed how
the farms of this country were being
driven into land tenures like that of
Europe l called attention to an articI g
which appeared in the North American
Review last December, which | think
was by an American statistician of this
country, in which it is stated that over
$3.50, 900 of mortgages we're held upon
farms in the little state of Connecticut
alone. l stated that over so per cent,
perhaps two-thirds. of the farms of the
states of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michl-
gan were under mortgage, and that :no
nopoly was making 1t impossible for
these men to pay for these farms an d
that they were breaking them up, fore
ing them to become tenants, and institut
ing the European system in this coun-
try; that l did not regard that as
question of patriotism, nor a foreign
question, but an American question con-
corning Americans.
81 referred to the banking monopoly
of the country, by which few men are
empowered to make money scarce in
order that they may control markets,
run corners on the medium of exchange,
and produce panic in the country by
making money scarce. TheV made tn e
price of articles dear, and threw labor
out of employment and brought on bank
ruptcy. l then said that monopoly
owned labor and employed its armed
hireings to subiugate the people. In
the light of these facts and of your in
alienabIe right to life and liberty and
the pursuit of happiness, it behooves you
as you love your wives and children, if
you would not see them perish with want
and hunger, yourselves killed or cut
down like dogs in the streets.-Ameri-
cans, in the interest of your liberty and
independence Arm, arm yourselves
A voice then said to me: I'VE are ready
now.' l responded: You are not l
did not understand exactly what the
gentleman said, but made that reply,
as has been testified to by many here.
| called attention to the fact that the
constitution of the United States gave to
the workingmen the right to keep and
bear arms, but monopoly was seeking to
deprive them OF that right. | called at
us the right to free speech, of free press,
and of unmolested assembly, but that
corporations and monopoly. by its paid
decisions in the courts, had trampled
these rights under foot, or were attempt
ing to do So called attention to the
fact that the government of the United
States was in the hands of the money
power, and from this fact-the sway OF
this money powef-it was almost impos'
sibIe for poor man to get justice in a
court of law that law was for sale just
like bread if YOU didn't have money
YOU couldn't get the bread, and if you
didn't have the money you couldn't get
Justice that justice was almost beyond
the reach of the poor, and that the poor
were made poor and kept poor by the
grinding processes of the corporations
and lnonopolies.
II then called attention to Socialism
and explained what it was. told them
Web: :ter's definition of it: that II
meant more equitable arrangement o
society-a more just and equitable ar
rangement of social affairs that there
was nothing in the word or in the pur
poses of Socialism for anyone to become
alarmed at. On the contrary, it should
be hailed with delight by all, as it was
designed to make all happy and pros
porous. then spoke in this connection
of the wage system of industry, anc
showed that the wage system of indus
try was despotism. inherently and nee,
essarily so, because under it the wag'
worker is forced and compelled to work
on such conditions and at such terms as
the employers of labor may see fit II
; dictate to him. This defined to be
slavery, hence said they we're wag'
slaves, and that the wage system wa