Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-01-19
MRS. WHITEHEAD'S INDIGNATION.
10 he Ii'Oyhmcp's 1drOrutc:


The Chicago Trihluc, in commenting
on the action Of the police in suppress
lng the anarchist meetings, seems to
give an instance OF COwardIcc grown to
ierocity. Hear 1t; "These anarchists
ar" villains. All who Apologies for
them are fools.
Such immense bigotry and stupendous
ignorance are subIIneY ridiculous. Yet
1t seems almost cruel to call them ride
ulous, seeing that they evidently result
from half-crazcd condition caused by
fear. The 7ribIme man goes on to say:
"BUmbs have been made, are making
and will be made. Murder and pillage
are threatened and may cnsue. But the
city Of Chicago will not Il second time
be party to the massacre
| do not wonder that the Tribune man
IL terocluus and frantic with fear. | do
not wonder that Chicago Is afraid it was
"a party to four cold blooded murders
on the llth Of November, 1887, Every
day 1t Is a "party,' albeit legally and
indirectly, to the murder of men, w0-
men and children. DO their ghosts
stalk abroad and plague the visions Of
those who uphold such u condition.
Let us quote one little item from a
Chicago paper to show VIII lt those who
have no word against the capitalist sys-
are ''party' to iii the city OF Chicago,
Queen of the West: "Ilcr next visit was
to the Never Zip Jersey factory, 1913 W.
Washington street, where She was given
work making Jerseys at sixty cents a
dozen. On entering the Workruom her
heart nearly failed as she bohcld the
wretchcd serfs, and SURVEYED the low
ceiling with its scanty light, and Inhaled
the Slckenmg OdOr and foul air from the
dyed fabrics and long row of water
closets which projected from the wall.
At noon the machinery stopped and I2O
women were given thirty minutes in
which to eat their dinner. rhc reporter
says she counted thirty women
who made their dinners ON dry bread
alone, fifteen with sandwiches, ten ate
cold pancakes, and twenty-three had no
dinner whatever" Lace, cloak and un-
derWear factories were visited, in which
substantially the same conditions pre-
vailed. Is existence in such conditions
life; 1t reminds me Of this passaage in
"Lookiug Backwards: "PresentIy, too,
as observed the WretChCd beings about
me more closely, perceived they were
all quite dead. Their bodies were SO
many living sepulchres, On each bru-
tai brow was plainly written the HE
Jdcd of a soul dead within.
The city of Chicago and all cities are
cursed with these horribles of living
death, but to protest against them in
any but mild and inolienslve terms is to
run the risk of being called ''yllIaln,'
anarchist or ''apologlst fool
| do not believe in blowing human be-
lngs up with dynamite any moro than
believe in hanging them; but | often
wonder how such AS carry on the Chi
cage IjTbUJr can be taken out of the
way of progress towards justice, right
euusness and peace. Their very atmos-
phere is rank with oppression and cru
city. 1t would almost seem as II bombs |
would sprout and grow and explode in il
Of themselves. without the AMI of hands.
To my mind the Capltalistc press |
never makes a more fatal mistake than |
when il shuts its eyes and ears to facts |
and arguments, and persists in chasing |
ls dynauters all who protest vigorous /
y against certain of our systems To |
close up anarchist meetings, to refuse to /
allow them to parade. To call them vii |
alns' and their apologists fools, or !
even IL hang them, Will never change /
The system that makes poverty and an /
Nlety the lot of labor; and until that Is |
hanged there cannot be peace and !
'atety.
know am only repeating what has
peen said over and over again, but some /
lines these things press So heavily on |
ny heart that cannot refrain from say |
ng something. CELIA b. WHITEHEAD. /