The Labor enquirer., 1888-03-24
Denver Commentaries The
Deeds and Memo
ries Of
The HEROES OF The PAST.
A Fitting Celebration or Q Remarka.
BILE Epoch In the Worlds
History.

sary OF the Paris Commune by tn,
Denver socialists took place at
West Denver Turner hall on Sat
urday evening last as advertised
To say that the celebration was .
success would be only partially
stating the case; it was a grand
success.
The hall had been decorated
for the occasion and the mos,
conspicuous and noticeable fea-
ture of the decorators art was an
immense. artistically designed
piece which hung suspended by
invisible wires Immediately in
front of the stage drop-curtain.
The words "Vive La" were in
seribed on the upper portion of
the design which was in the shape
of a large keystone, pendant from
which was a huge banner bearing
m large eighteen-inch letters the
word Commune" to the right
and leftof which we're respectively
the dates 1871" "I7o3," and sus-
pended from this was a large bas-
ket of flowers.
After the singing ofthe Marseil-
laise by a chorus of about thirty
voices on the stage, the president,
Miss Mccarthy, introduced Col.
John X. Kelso of Longmont, Col
orado. who spoke on "The Paris
Commune" The lecturer said he
did not propose to make an ex-
tended speech, as he had learned
long since valuable lesson-not
to talk tao long. Of the real facts
in connection with the Paris Com
mune he would not attempt to
speak only incidentally, inasmuch
as he had been unable to procure
a sufficient amount of reliable in
formation regarding the same. He
proposed to speak more on the
communistic doctrine and theory
than .on the incidents in connec-
ton with the Commune. The
speaker claimed that the older
communistic teachings were those
of Jesus and proved that those
teachings we're communistic in
their nature. The colonel briefly
sketched the causes which led to
the dcnouement of the eighteenth
of March, n.
The speaker claimed that the
object of the Paris communists
was not to establish real communal
government, but to get control OF
the municipal government of the
French metropolis. Passing on
over the days succeeding the
driving from Paris of the Theirs
government, Col. Kelso dwelt on
the fact, as proven by even the
bourgeois historians themselves,
that during the whole time the
city of Paris was in the hands oi
the Communicable artisans and
workingmen-thcre was less crime
less violence and acts OF outrage
than was known to have been com
mittcd in the same length of time
under the so-called legal or capi'
talist government. During the
six weeks, when the Commune
held complete control, there were
only sixty or seventy persons
killed and these. according to un'
friendly historians, we're the resul
not of the orders of the Commune
authorities, but Of private acts o
vengeance which we're necessaril.
beyond the control Of the author
ties.
The bank of France containe'
millions of money and treasure
yet when the workingmen wer
subdued and the Theirs govern
ment re-enterrd the city the.
found the vaults Of the bank Q
France untouched and the million
inthe same state as when the Com
mune forces first took possessio
of the city. tl j.
"How different it was immedl
aiely on the return of the Their
soldiery" exclaimed the speakel
"For within week after the occu
patton Of the city bythe vssssills