The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-10-14
SPIES SPEAKS.
He Denounces Capitalists, Berates Justice
and Saws He'll Die Game.

August Spies rose before a little table upon
which his notes were placed, along with glass
of water, wearing plain black suit with but
ton-hole bouquet, stroked his hair back over his
somewhat intelligent forehead and perspired
freely, indicating the great strain upon his
physical powers which the critical situation i'm
posed upon him He spoke for three-quarters
of an hour. We present a few choice extracts
from his remarkable speech He began by as
sorting that there was no evidence connecting
him with the Haymarket massacre, and de-
clared that the execution of the sentence
against him would be nothing less than a
willful, malicious and deliberate murder, as
foul murder may be found in the annals of
religious, political or any other sort of persecu-
ton.
~The class that cIamors for our, lives, the
good and devout Christians, have attempted in
every way, through their newspapers and
otherwise, TO conceal the true and only issue in
this case by designating the defendants an
archists and picturing them as n newly dis
covered tribe species of cannibals, by in
venting shocking and horrifying stories OF their
consplracies. These Christians sought to keep
the naked evidence from the working people
namely, that the evening of May two hundred
armed men under the command of notorious
Tuffian attacked n meeting OF peaceable citizens
with what intenton2 With the intention of
numbering them-of nurdern as many as they
could. refer to the testimony given by two
of our witnesses. The wage-workers of this city
began to object TO being fieeced too much.
They began TO say some truths that We're highly
disagi eeable to our patrician class They
were DISCONTINUED. They put forth some
eight hours hard toll day for scarcely
two hours pay was too much. This low
rabble had to DO silenced The only way to
silence them WIS TO brighten them and murder
those whom they looked up TO as their leaders.
Yes, these foreign dogs had 70 be taught les
son, so that they might never again interfere
with the igh-hauded exploitation OF their be-
nevolent and Christian families. Bonfeld the
man who would bring n blush OF shame to the
murderers of st. Bartholomew night-Bonheld,
the i!lustrious, with visage that would have
excellent
Dante's Eiends of Hell-Bonheld was the man
70 consummate tho conspiracy OF the Citizens
Association Of our patriciane. And IL / had
thrown that bomb, or caused it to be thrown,
or had known Of it, would not hesitate mo-
ment TO state 80. IL is true n number of lives
were lost and many were wounded; but hun.
dreds of lives were thereby saved. But for
that bomb there would have been hundred
widows and hundreds OF orphans where now
there are few. These facts have been sup
pressed, while we were accused and convicted
of conspiracy by the real conspiratOrs and
their agents. This, your Honor, is one reason
why sentence should not be passed by Il court
of iustO0.
1T has always been the opinion Of the ruling
classes that the people must be kept in ignO
rance They lose thor servility, their modesty
and obedience TO the arbitrary powers that be
as their intelligence grows. The education Of q
blacksmith a quarter OF century ago was
criminal offenso. Why2 Because the intelli
cent slave would throw off his shackles at hat
ever cost, my Christian gentlemen. Why is the
education Of the working people to-day looked
state2 For the same reason. The state, how
ever wisely avoided this point in the prosecu
ton Of the case. The court this morning state(
that there il no case ia history like this. hav,
noticed durn g tnis trial that the gentlemen o
the legal profession are not well versed in his
tory Again, i'm all historical cases OF this kline
the truth had TO be perverted by the priests o
the established powers that were nearing thei
ends.
I'VE have explained to the people the differen
phenoncua of tho social laws and oircum
stances under which they occur. We hav
further stated that the wage system as spe
cihc form OF social development would by TIN
necessity Of logic, have to make room for
higher form of'civilzotiOn; that the wage sys
TEN was preparing the way and furnishing tn
foundation for social system Of cooperation
That Is socialism We have said that the ten
dency OF progress seemed 10 be toward anarch
lam: that g. a fres society, without king an
elasses--a society OF sovereigns in which tn
liberty and economic quality OF all will fur
nish an unsuitable equilibrium as n condition
OF natural order 70 is not likely That tho Hon
Ponho,d aid Grinuoll can conceive OF a con
dition Of sooial order not held intact by tn
policeIuons club aud pistol, nor OF n free soc 9
" without prisons. gallowses. aud states AZ
torneya In such society they would probabl
fail to end place for themselves. And is thi