The Labor enquirer., 1886-12-04

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death is going to be passed on US, th,
stock yards employers have notified
their employees they will be required te
work ten hours next Monday or they
will shut down. l think it is a logica
conclusion to draw that these men thinl
they have got dangerous element out
of the way now and they can return
again to the ten hour system.
know 1 had considerable to do. al
though I only spoke once in that neigh
borhood, every man there being a stran.
ger to me-but 1 went down there in
March previous and made an eight hour
speech and formed the nucleus of an
eight-hour organization there; and the
stock yards succeeded in starting the
eight-hour syetem, though they have
not been able to keep it up. in its en-,
tirety. We calm we have done much
Mr.. Neebe has told you of the advan.
tages that have been gained bv classes
of workingmen in this city through his
organization of trade unions for the pur.
pose fgetting reduction of the hours
of labor. five have succeeded to the
extent he has told you, our lives will not
have been spent in vain. And whatever
may be our fate-and there seems to be
but one conclusion on that question
We feel satisfied that we have not lived
in this world for nothing that. we have
done some good to our fellow men, and
done what we believe to be in the In
terests of humanity and for the further
ance of justice. 1t is satisfaction to
know that.
l repeat the language, as near as | can
remember it, of Lady Cavendish, after
the murder of her husband in Phosnix
park. She said: eff the death of my
darling has tended in any Way to bring
about better understanding and bet
ter condition of things between tnese
two elements, l willingly give him up."
If my life is to be taken for advocating
the principles ofSocialism and Anarchy,
as I have understood them and honest ly
believe them to be in the interests of
l say to you that 1 gladly
give it up and the price is very small
for the result gained.
Your honor, with due respect to your
years, wish to say this: 1t is quite
possible you cannot understand, having
lived in a different atmosphere from
what we have lived in, how men can
hold such ridiculous ideas. l have no
doubt YOU felt that way. Yet it is
we'll known that persons who have lived
to ripe old. age seldom change their
opinions. But | impute no wrong
motive in that. Iti3a a natural result.
But we do claim our principles will bear
investigation and criticism.
We claim that 80 far as we have been
able to find out in trying to find cure
for the ills of society we have not found
out anything that has seemed to fit the
particular diseases which society, in our
opinion, is afflicted with to-day better
than the principles of Socialism, And.
your honor, Socialism, when it is thor
oughly understood in this community
and in the world, as it is by us, believe
that the world, which is generally hon
est, prejudiced though it may be. will
not be slow to adopt its principles. And
it will be good time, grand dav for
the world it will be grand day for
it will never have taken a
step 30 far onward towards perfection. if
1t can ever reach that goal, as it will
when it adopts the principles of Social
ism. They are principles that ignore no
man. They are the principles that con-
slider the interest of everyone, They are
the principles which will do away with
wrong and injustice and suffering will be
reduced at least to a minimum under
such an organization of society. AS
compar ed to the present struggle for ex
istence, which is degrading society and
made men, as l have said in the hay
market speech, merely things and
animals, Socialism will give them oppor-
tunitles of devel )ping the possibilities of
their nature. But under our present ex-
listing economic relations, there can be
And, your honor, it is only in
nv opinion short time before this sYs-
tenn will have Outlived itself so as to
compel the adoption of the Socialistic
system. The existence of the vast army
of unemployed men, the existence of
crime which is becoming almost an in
tolerable burden upon tne different COM
munities in this country and in Europe
to keep in check, is showing US there is
something radically wrong. These con-
ditions will force us to ask what that
wrong is, and force US to adopt some an
tidote for the evil. l have read some.
where of historical character who in
ancient times is reported to have killed
his comrade. Spartacus was gladiator
who lived to pander to the amusement
of the Roman mobiles of old. He is re-
ported as having on one occasion spoken
to his fellow slaves IN some such words as
these, or rather these are the sentiments
In speaking of his home before he be.
came captive, he tells them of the
pleasure ofhis youth, he tells them as