Hellraisers Journal: Lucy Parsons Speaks Out About the Attempted Assassination of President William McKinley

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Quote Lucy Parsons re McKinley Shot, Chg Tb p3, Sept 7, 1901—————-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday September 8, 1901
Chicago, Illinois – Lucy Parsons on Attempted Assassination of Mckinley

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of September 7, 1901:

CHICAGO ANARCHISTS’ REGRET.
———-
Receive the News of Attempted Assassination
with Statements of Fear That
Cause Will Be Injured.
———-

Lucy Parsons, Life of AP, pub Chg 1889

Anarchists in Chicago received the news of the President’s attempted assassination with regret, and disclaimed all knowledge of or acquaintance with the assailant. They described his action as foolish, wanton, and calculated to work great injury to the cause of anarchism.

“What is the latest news of the President?” was the first question asked by Mrs. Lucy Parsons, when visited last night at her home, 1777 North Troy street.

[She further stated:]

They say he may recover? I am glad to hear that. I hope he will recover. He is a good President, just as good as any capitalistic President could be, and it would be unfortunate if he should die of his wounds.

I have been afraid for two or three years that something of this kind would happen. I have feared that some radical, mistaken person would attempt to kill the ruler of either America or Great Britain. Nothing could be worse for the cause of anarchism. What is the use to strike individuals. That is not true anarchy. Another ruler rises to take his place and no good is accomplished.

The assailant is a man I never heard of before, and I do not believe he was in a conspiracy with anyone else in planning his deed. No man who has the true principles of anarchy in his heart would do such a thing. The President is chosen by the people, and comes as near representing them as a man could under the present system.

McKinley is a good President. He listens to the voice of the people and tries to heed its behest. I admire him for his conduct in regard to the Spanish-American war. If ever a man was pushed and kicked into a war against his will President McKinley was in that war. He is a civic President, always interested in the peaceful welfare of the country. If he should not recover we will have Roosevelt, a military man, young and full of aggressiveness. That would be unfortunate for the nation.

Oscar W. Neebe, one of the Anarchists who was indicted charged with participation in the haymarket riot, but acquitted, also said he never had heard of the assailant, and thought the assassination was the work of a crank or insane man.

“What was his motive? What did he expect to accomplish?” said Neebe, when told that the man claimed to be an Anarchist.

You might kill a thousand Presidents, but the next would represent the same class as those that went before, because we are ruled by capital in this country, and we are likely to be for a long time to come. So they call the fellow an Anarchist? Of course, every man who dues a crazy or foolish deed is an Anarchist in the eyes of the public. As a matter of fact there are no real Anarchists in this country. There are plenty of Socialists, of varying shades of belief, some revolutionary, perhaps, but no Anarchists. I myself am no Anarchist, and I doubt if you could find one in Chicago.

—————

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: “The Haymarket and the Eight Hour Movement of 1886”

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Quote Albert Parsons, Chicago, Nov 11, Alarm p1, Nov 19, 1887———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 11, 1910
Martyrs of Chicago’s Great Eight-Hour Movement Remembered

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of November 9, 1910:

Haymarket Eight Hour Martyrs, Future Honors, IW p1, Nov 9, 1910

———-

[Detail:]

Haymarket Eight Hour Martyrs, Future Honors detail, IW p1, Nov 9, 1910

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Twenty-three years have elapsed since the execution of the four men in the county jail at Chicago. Twenty-three years, ample time for the world to correct its errors of misinformation. And yet, only a comparatively small portion of the people as a whole; yes, it may be safely said that only a minority of the so-called “revolutionists” are possessed of the true status of the affair. It is for the purpose of briefly outlining the facts of the Haymarket “riot” and the resulting murder of four innocent men, and to commemorate their death that this Anniversary Number is issued. The facts are as follows: Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: “The Haymarket and the Eight Hour Movement of 1886””

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs: “The Martyred Apostles of Labor,” Judicially Murdered, Chicago, November 11, 1887

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The time will come when our silence
will be more powerful
than the voices you strangle today.
-August Spies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal: Saturday February 5, 1898
Eugene V. Debs Remembers the Chicago Martyrs of 1887

From The New Time Magazine of February 1898:

EVD, New Time Magazine, Feb 1898

THE MARTYRED APOSTLES OF LABOR.

By EUGENE V. DEBS.

The century now closing is luminous with great achievements. In every department of human endeavor marvelous progress has been made. By the magic of the machine which sprang from the inventive genius of man, wealth has been created in fabulous abundance. But, alas, this wealth, instead of blessing the race, has been the means of enslaving it. The few have come in possession of all, and the many have been reduced to the extremity of living by permission. A few have had the courage to protest. To silence these so that the dead-level of slavery could be maintained has been the demand and command of capital-blown power. Press and pulpit responded with alacrity. All the forces of society were directed against these pioneers of industrial liberty, these brave defenders of oppressed humanity—and against them the crime of the century has been committed.

Albert R. Parsons, August Spies, George Engel, Adolph Fischer, Louis Lingg, Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab and Oscar Neebe paid the cruel penalty in prison cell and on the gallows.

They were the first martyrs in the cause of industrial freedom, and one of the supreme duties of our civilization, if indeed we may boast of having been redeemed from savagery, is to rescue their names from calumny and do justice to their memory.

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Hellraisers Journal: IWW Convention Begins in Chicago; Young Delegate, Miss Flynn, Talks Socialism on Street Corner

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I studied carefully the New York East Side,
the slums, the dives, and the sweatshops
and the terrible conditions of the people there
drove me into socialism.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday September 18, 1907
Chicago, Illinois – Girl Socialist Is I. W. W. Delegate

Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, age 17, of New York City, is a delegate to the Convention of Industrial Workers of the World which opened its first session on Monday morning, September 16th.

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of September 17, 1907:

…Industrial Workers of the World Open
Annual Convention…..

IWW Universal Label, IWWC 1906 Proceedings

With a gavel valued at $100 in the chairman’s hands, the annual convention of the Industrial Workers of the World opened in the morning at Brand’s hall. The gavel was presented by the unions of Alaska. It is made of walrus tusks. It is expected a tangle over the credentials will be straightened out today, and the unionists will take up business matters…

———-

[Photograph added.]

Miss Flynn, “Platform Wonder”

MISS GLYNN IN SOAPBOX TALKS.
—–
“Platform Wonder” Tells Her Hearers
the General Strike Is to Be the
Watchword of Future.
—–

EGF Girl Socialist w Hat, NYW, Aug 24, 1906

Standing on a soapbox at Halsted and O’Brien streets last night, Miss Elizabeth Gurley Glynn [Flynn], the 17 year old union “platform wonder,” addressed a crowd of 200 workingmen and exhorted them to prepare for the “general strike” in Chicago in the near future. Other unions “revival” meetings were held at Clark and Erie streets and elsewhere about the city. The soapbox campaign will be conducted while the convention of the Industrial Workers of the World is in session this week at Brand’s hall.

[Declared Miss Flynn:]

Not until every workingman quits his labor and refuses to go back until he is given a fair share of the profits will the labor question be settled. The general strike is the watchword of the future. It is certain to come soon.

Meetings will be held tonight in the Milwaukee avenue district and at several places on the west side.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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