The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-07-01
CHICAGO ANARCHISTS.


A Monument to the Memory Of the -Mar-
tyu" rnreiled st waldheim-The Ad-
dresses at the Cemetery-The Exercises
Carried on Mainly I'm Foreign TonEues-
The Speeches OF . Very Mid Order
Description of the Monument
CHICAGO, June a6.-The unveiling OF
the granite monument to the memory
Of the five anarchists. August Spies,
Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, Louis
Lingg and George Engel, which took
place yesterday afternoon at Waldheim
cemetery, was an impressive ceremony.
More than $500 persons assembled at
the burial ground to stamp once more
with their approval the sentiment and
actions of the men whom the state of
Illinois found guilty of treason and
put to death. The crowd was orderly
and the few policemen under whose
protection the ceremony took place
found little to do beyond keeping sym
pathizers with anarchy In line as
they surged through the gates of the
enclosure. 1t was a crowd OF Germans
Poles and Bohemians Scarcely an
American was to be seen, and the ex-
ercises were carried on mainly in for
eign tongues
The character Of the speeches could
not be called incendiary. but rather
that of mild protest against the exist
ing order of the government The
ringing oratory of the days when the
red flag waved where it pleased was
gone, an all the enthusiasm the ora
tors could bring from their auditors
was an occasional burst of applause,
not very certain in its sound. A
marked feature of the oratory, how
ever, and one which was most liber-
ally applauded, was a showing Of
strong animOsity towards Judges Gary
and Grinnell and other officials Of the
law who had been prominent in the
grave were preceded by a short parade
in the city. The entire ceremony was
under the auspices of Matthias Schmid-
enger, president of the Pioneer and
Support association. which has made
the monument a possibility, and which,
ever since the celebrated execution in
the yard of the Cook county Jail, has
supported the widows and children of
the five anarchists
NJ. Schmidengcr opened the exercises
with a few temperate remarks. The
monument was formally rendered to
the association by Sculptor Weinert.
Then came the English speech by Will
liam Holmes lie said in part:
We invite the noble lords and ladies from
other lands who are soiourning In our city pal
aces. whose titles to great possessions are
founded upon tyranny and robbery, who
proudly boast that they nor their ancestors
have ever been contaminated by labor or trade;
We invite these aristocrats to view the monn-
ment which loyal hearts and ready hands have
raised up. Let them gaze upon the stern 1guro
OF their Nemesis and read in her defiant atti-
tude the prophecy OF labors deliverance.
Long have they feastcd and fattened on the
toll wrung from laboring poor. but the days OF
their triumphs are already numbered.
We invite also the rich OF our own country
and city. the wealthy toadIes TO European
sristocracy. who have recently given Us q
practical demonstration OF their itching for
royal recognition.
We ask those recreant Americans to look
upon the work which the friends of these mur-
dercd men have dedicated. Our comrades pc
titioned them appealed to them, almost
prayed TO them to hearken TO the agonized
cries OF the oppressed poor; but they needed
not the petition. the prayers nor the warnings
of those whom they had wronged. There will
come q time when they will remember the
warning prophecy OF one whom they stran-
gled.
DIR. Ernest Schmid, the veteran so
cialist of Chicago, delivered the Ger
man Grafton. The speaker refrained
from any direct criticism of the pro-
ceedings in the anarchist trial, but he
gave a very striking phrase in advert
ing 10 the close trial of Jean Palas, of
Florence.
The red hood which enveloped the
monument was drawn aside by young
Albert Parsons, who was directed by
his mother, the widow of Albert Par
sons.
The design is striking. Upon a mas
sive surface, supported by firm base,
rests q rectangular plinth. Directly in
front of the plinth stands heroic
group in bronze. The sentiment en-
bodied in this group was found by the
sculptor in Freiligrath's poem. THE
Revolution" The central figure in
the group represents n woman in an
attitude expressive of defiance. Her
right arm, with clenched hand, is
crossed over her breast, while the left
hand is placing n laurel wreath upon
the brow of her champion. who lies
at her feet. Beneath the form
Of the PROSTATE man fronds and sprays
of palms are strewn. The woman's
figure stands out in bold relief, full of
and is powerfully conceived
and artistically executed
On the base of the monument the
last words of August Spies are in
scribed:
The day will come when our silence will he
more powerful than the voices you arc threat
ening to-day