The Labor enquirer., 1886-09-25
LUCY PARSONS SPEECH.
words OF Warming to the Poor Frsm
the wife OF One Of capital-
ism,s Victims. K

A Chicago correspondent Vi Lno LET
troit Labor Leaf furnishes the following
condensed report of the speech deliy-
cred by Lucy Parsons to an audience of
4 600 people, at Sheffield. Indiana:
.sMEN AND WoMEN:-I am not here to
incite nor to appeal to your passions, for
can see by your frequent outbursts of
applause in response to the preceding
speakers that you are thoroughly
aroused. stand before you to day,
comrades, occupying different position
from that occupied by me in all the
years in which l have addressed you.
So intimately connected with him who
stands under the shadow of the scaffold
[her husband] for having raised his
voice, in common with his fellow COM
rades with him condemned, against the
tyranny un Ter which labor suffers. and
for re-echoing the noble sentiment that
resistance to tyranny is obedience TO
God For these sentiments, my friends,
do they stand condemned, and for no
other. -.
"Let us see if this statement be true.
Are thew murderers? The very conduct
of the late trial, and the reception Of the
verdict by the ruling class, prove that
they are not. Did not the crowned
heads and oppressors from Chicago to
Washington, from Washington to Con-
stantinople, around to St. Petersburg,
Vienn,, Berlin, and London. away be-
yond the confines of our civilization. tip
the wine-cups in their palatial abodes,
surrounded by their trucking courtiers,
and shout huzzas at the rendition OF
the verdict? Then, again, | ask you If
this fact does not prove beyond doubt
that this vas not murder trial, but a
class trial, and class verdict, and was 80
understood by the depressing class ?
But I fear, alas it has vet to dawn upon
the laborers that it was.
"If this verdict is permitted to stand,
and our noble comrades sacrificed to the
God of Mammon, it will establish the
long -sought-for precedent in this coun-
try, and in the future all that tyranta Of
everv degree will have to do when they
seek 10 down any movement of the peo-
pie will be to name it Anarchy-then
strangle it. Beware For upon the bal
ance of these scales depends the century
struggles and blood-bought heritages OF
free speech, free press, and unmolested
assembly.
Behold the spectacle You may
search the records of jurisprudence since
civilization began and YOU fail to find a
case conducted as this trial has been.
The presiding genius over this judicial
farce ruled that prejudice in the minds
of the jurymen did not debar them from
serving as such; hence, when every
Juror upon taking the oath to try those
eight men for their liberty and lives
swore that he was prejudiced against So
cialism and Anarchism, the judge in
formed them that Socialism was not
upon trial but the eight men we're on
trial for murder, and that they were
therefore competent to act as jurors.
Now mark the result. The court
permitted the Alarm and all its c IN
tents for the past three years, alsJ the
Arbeiter-Zeltung for past years, to be
introduced as evidence Of murder Also
the speeches of these labor organizers
and orators for years past to be submit
ted as testimony to prove murder against
them. The counsel for the government
opened their case by declaring to the
court and jury and the world that An
archy was on trial The judge so ruled
and the jury 80 found Guilty on gene
raj principles. Three labor editors and
five labor organizers doomed to death
because they denounced corporate and
monopoly oppressors as the robbers Of
the men and women of toll, and held
them up to scorn as legal pirates an en-
emies Of the human race. This was
their crime, and for this they are con-
demned to die.
Now, in conclusion, my friends, let
me conjure you that if this Infamous,
damnabIe verdict must be carried out
because the depressing class demand it,
let me say to you, that from the time tie
echo of the death-traps Of the scatfold is
heard and those seven comrades shall
be ushered into eternity, there will
come up from among the masses coun
ter echo that will shake the foundati ions
of society and send thrill thro ughout
civilization.
"Have courage. The states attorney
told the Jury and the world in his speech
that Anarchy was at discount in Chi
cago just now; we have tie rats on the
run and propose to rnn them into their
holes, said he. If the states attorney
could only stand here to-day, he doubt
less ould conclude that it would take a
mighty big hole to put these 1000 rats
into and a mighty big cork to keep
them there. Stand firm. Remember
that our comrades lie in prison for our
sake, for the sake of oppressed and
down-trodden humanity, for the sake of
robbed and enslaVed labor. They, with
you, long for the day of labor's emanci-
Lation, that day which draws nigh ;
that day which the gathering. innumer-