Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1891-03-28


lice to Create Riot.
CHICAGO March 81, 1891. Il closed my
course in Chicago this evening, and
move on to Milwaukee early o-morrow
morning. Yet my mind will return more
than once to the hurry bury this city
presents and will not rest satisfied until
the result of the election is known
The nomination of full Socialist
ticket for the pending Spring elections
here has broken the states of the poll
ticians; it has rendered uncertain the
fuItilment of more than one ambitious
dream among Chicago's Four Hundred,
i, E., among her Criminalocracy and
what is most important of all, it has
revived i'll the minds of the exploiting
class the erecolection of previous atte mpts
on the part of labor here to enfranch
itself, the suddenness and the magnitude
of such outbursts on previous occasions,
together with the apprehension that,
thanks to the agitation of the Socialists,
the present demonstration will not be
flash in the pan, but a solid beginning
of the end. Hence frantic attempts are
being made to cause the abandonment
of the Socialist ticket. All the shady,
crooked corruptionists among the labor
organizations in the city have been
drummed together, money has been
lavished upon them and they have been
brought to meetings where without a
shadow of delegated authority and in
the sacred name VI Labor thvy have
nominated or endorsed capitalist cand-
dates. The capitalist press has en-
deavored to heap ridicule upon the
Socialists The politicians affect to claim
the support of labor for themselves and
point to their bogus labor conventions.
Yet the Socialist campaign moves on,
gaining strength from day to day and
labor is ranking itself quietly behind it,
The recollection of the bignese the
votes polled here by the Socialists on
agita ION is both a cause of much appre-
hension to the capitalists and source of
comfort to our friends. The only ques-
ton is, Will the workingmen be able to
distribute their tickets throughout this
mammoth city within the short time
left to them? If they can do SO, the
vote may be very large. If they cannot,
the vote will fall short by as many
voters of their class as they have not been
able to reach.
While the campaign is for municipal
offices only, and while it would have
otherwise had none but a municipal
character, the appearance of the Social
ist ticket in the field, especially headed
by Thomas j. Morgan, takes it from
local and raises it to a national plane
Morgan is a machinist, proud of the
class to which he belongs, and a man of
no oordinary abilities. Through his efforts
and those of the members of the Section
the issues are all national, The agitation
is national, the arguments are of national
character, and the fight is carried on on
national lines This it must be admitted
is greatly aided by the character Of his
adversaries. One, Elmer Washburn,
represents the "Citizens," i. e., the most
furious and implacable enemies of the
working class, men whose consciences
smite them, who faIsify statistics and
make 'travesty of science. and with
the aid of the local pulpit endeavor to
to Justify the existing malad jnstment of
society together with their own idle,
worthless existence. Another, Hemp
stead Washburn, is noted for being the
son of the notorious Minister of the
United States at Paris in the days of the
Commune, and who justified the mas
sacre and aided in the calumniation of
the working people of that city by the
brutal soldiery and the willy statesman
ship of France; man whose whole in
stincts are reactiOnary and monarchic
and in whose collection of pictures an
almost fullsize portrait of Emperor
William is awarded the choicest place
Then. also, there is the infamous Carter
Harrison, who swore he had ordered
Bontield not to modest the Haymarket
meeting, it being perfectly peaceable. yet
failed to unfrock that law breaking
policeman the moment he learned of the
latter's dlsobedience and the murders he
had caused. There is also one Dewitt
c. Cregier, well known as a willing,
ready tool of monopoly through thick
and thin, whether In municipal, State
or national matters.
The issue is thus well presented. The
capitals s attempts to mislead the peo-
pie seem to lose ground. On the other
hand the justice of the Socialist position