Workmen's advocate., 1888-12-15
9riee } Cents

a tiasco. For this reason they consider preparations for the use of such force as were made by the Chicago anarchists -as useless and even harmful.
 The antl-anarchist working people believe that powerful outbreaks of the peoples will occur as do the elements of nature, without long preparation, with out order, and without notice.
 The anti-anarchist organized workers further believe-mark it well-thdt he emancipation of the mmh,ing class from the yoke Qf rdge Idcery is less hindered dy the reSiStdRce of the possessing cldSs han by the dpathy of the worhers them- SelreS.
 The emancipation of the working class would long since have been accom- plished if it were conditioned only upon breaking the opposition of the possess ing class; for the non-possessors form a twenty fold stronger power. It IS not the poSseSsors, against whom every weak attempt would fail, but the majority of the organized ,rorkingmen who throttle every aspiration for freedom.
 Our chief opponents are to be found in the ranks of the workingmen, as has been proved in many an election.
 The masses stand on the side of their oppressors, and against this mass one little band cannot successfully battle.
 Therefore we see that the principal mistake in anarchist tactics lies in their unfounded confidence in the masses. The anarchists believed that only Sig- ndL ro'tSing cry, surprising "deed" was needed and the people would com- prehend the sign and rally to shake off the rule of capital.
 We have seen how the people valued the 4th of May.
 Did the masses rally to prevent the dispensing of the Haymarket meeting?
 And where were the hundreds who had drilled in the "Lehr und Wehr Verein?"
 Where were the thousands who joined with the anarchists in many gigantic mass meeting, in swearing to put a speedy end to capitals reign?
 Anarchist tactics proved monstrous mistake.
 And this mistake cost five men their lives; great-hearted Albert Parsons, the equally gifted August Spies, brave George Engel, unswerving George Fisher, and the fiery youth, Louis Lingg.
 
 victims to an error, it does not disgrace them. To err is human.
 We mourn and deploro that an error, which the world would easily exuse in others, should have been so barbarously and cruelty avenged upon these five men.
 And here we come to the actual co slderat!on ot the question, "ln how much does 1'th of November concern the anti-anarchist workers 7"
 No wOrkman-nO matter how much he opposes anarchist tactcs- can let the tragedy of the lth of November pass before his minds eye, without the thought and consciousness that:
 "CIosely considered, those five men forfeited their lives for the cause of la- bor! You are indeed not partner in their way of looking,at things, and if they lived to-day you would oppose them; but the error of their life was not their private affair, but their method of hastenng the emancipation of the working class In this light they are not only martyrs of anarchism, but also martyrs to the labor cause, which they served with body and soul"
 True, my friends, cannot hidethe fact that the martyrdom of those five men who were done to death by bru- tai justice" was useless. The con- demned were confident, up to the last moments of their lives that their death would be considered by the working class as crime against themselves. They still believed and that was their error, that they had the masses behind them
 And yet, how noiselessly did the masses permit the hangman to perform his office on the terrible 1lth of Novem- ber
 The only thing which the masses did was to decentIy support their beroaved families, and give the dead an imposing burial.
 To my knowledge the 11th of Novem- Der left no lasting impression upon the minds of the American workingmen.
 The unfortunate men who were con- demned mistook the universal sympathy the workers of the country expressed for a kindredneSs of mi,td. This error of the prisoners was certainly pardon able. But the living do wrong when they adopt that error and spread it in spite of better knowledge
 The labor movement in America has in no way hecn furthered by anarchist tactics; on the contrary, it has mani festb suffered under it; and if all signs are not deceptive, the anarchists them selves have come to the conviction that a repetition of the 4th of May is any thing but desirable.
 And now that have spoken against anarchist tactics, l cannot, for justices sake, refrain from pointing out an item of defense for them, even if it is only to show that the Chicago defendants would 'r not have been sentenced to death had they been serving any other cause than the cause of Labor.