Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-05-02
Joseph Wanhope's Speech al
Denver in the Coliseum Hall
in Which He Deals With
Idaho Conditions

knowing that history repeats itself,
want to venture a prediction. In less
than twenty years Colorado will regard
Charles Meyer and William Haywood,
as Massachusetts now regards Wendell
Phillips and Lloyd Garrison. Colorado
will erect monuments to their memory,
when the names of the bloodthirsty
tyrants who now seek their lives have
been blotted out and perished from the
memory of men. (Applause).
For Just as, despite appearances,
chattel slavery was then drawing to
a close, so the present era of wage slav
cry is fastening to its end. This is
what Meyer and Haywood saw and pro-
claimed, and this is their crime. 1t is
for this perception and proclamation
that they now lie under the shadow of
capitalist gallows in the corporation
ridden state of Idaho. Their crime is
the crime of being Socialists and pro-
claiming it. If it is crime, then
hundreds of thousands of men and wo.
men in this country and millions in
other lands are equally criminal. This
meeting has been arranged by crimin-
ais, and tonight 1 am the chief Grim
inal. am proud of it, and ] know
my fellow malefactors feel likewise.
(Laughter.)
And ] am stin more proud and happy
to know that the number of these
criminals is constantly increasing. In
the increase of these Socialist crimin-
ais lies the hope of the world.
The cause for which Charles Meyer
and William Haywood now stand un
der the shadow of the gallows is march
ing with irresistible power TO an in
exorable end, to the destruction of the
capitalist system and the emancipation
! Of the workers of the world from the
thralldom and slavery it imposes up
on them
Great as was the cause for which
Garrison and Phillips suffered in the
olden days, the cause for which Meyer
and Haywood are now suffering is in
fnitely greater. II exceeds it as uni
versal worldwide slavery exceeds 10
cal and limited chattel slavery. so.
cialism means economic freedom, not
only TO the people of one state or ma
tion. but to all the toilers throughout
the world.
Your chairman has admitted that
Charles Meyer and William Haywood
were dangerous men. That is true.
They were and they are now. They
are more dangerous now in Jail than
ever before. The menace they embody
is not lessened by the fact that they
now lie behind prison walls. On the
contrary, il is vastly increased. Around
those walls is rising a thunderous pro
test from the throats Of millions of
workingmen. protest which capital
ism will DO well TO heed, a protest that
can only be disregsrded by men drunk
with power and mad with the desire
for gold. (Applause)
Had Charles Meyer and william
Haywood betrayed the trust repOsed IN
them by their fellows; had they fawn
ed and erawled and prostrated them
selves before the money power; had
they used their talents and influence
to further their own ambitions, a'
their would-be murderers charge; hat
they accepted wage slavery as an eter
nal institution and urged submission
10 its yoke; had they proclaimed tbeii
belief in the lying doctrine Of com
munity Of interests between the eH
ploiters and their victims; had they
sat at Civic Federation banquets anc
ehnked wine glasses with men whS
profess TO believe in the heroism o.
the seab. tho thug, the sneak and the
strike breaker; had they done thes'
things, they might now, instead of ly
ing shaekled in capitalist shambles
be sharing the pedestle now oeeuPel
by such as GompeTs and Mitchell. ana
possess the outward respect and the in
ward contempt Of the erploiters wh'
now seek their lives.
Had they poisoned ten thousand Oi
their eountymsn with embalrned beef
sweatsd the labor Of helpless wome'
and little children with starvation
wages grabbed the assets Of Insurance
companies and swindled the widows anS
orphans OF the workers. eOrnsTed th'