Haymarket Affair Digital Collection

Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial evidence book. People's Exhibit 89.
Arbeiter-Zeitung (Newspaper) article, editorial, 1886 Apr. 20

2 p.
Introduced into evidence during testimony of Eugene Seeger (Vol. K p. 701-720), 1886 July 31.
Transcript of translation of article.


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[Image, People's Exhibit 89, Page 1]

EXHIBIT 89.

April 20th, Editorial on second page, which reads as follows:

"As, long as the people in the kitchen of life are satisfied with the smell of the roast and feeds his empty stomach with the idea of national greatness, national riches, national liberty of the poll, the glutton is always for liberty. Why not? It is useless to others and he feels comfortable with it. Freedom of making contracts, most sacred constitutional right of mankind, why shouldst thou not be welcome to the gentlemenly gluttons? Dost not the coal digger come voluntarily to the coal baron and offer him his services for a very little consideration? Have not Jay Gould's coal slaves between themselves agreed to be content with the wages of $3 to $4 per week? Do not the workingmen if idle, use up the very soles of their feet to get work for a very small consideration? No brief of law prescribes to man to work; no resolution of Congress says that workingmen must content themselves with $3 to $5 per week. Yea, even more, the laborer buys from stores of societies of the extortionists in spite of the laws which prohibit it.

Where has it ever been ordained to man to be starving to walk about in rags and let their children be degraded? But still they do it. Where do they ordain for the heads of families to send their wives and children into the factory to be treated in the meanest possible way? Nowhere. Perfest


[Image, People's Exhibit 89, Page 2]

liberty you see. Liberty indeed, as the gluttonous capitalist understands it. The working people are free, free as the bird in the air, outlawed. This liberty in Belgium as well as in the United States is given under brief and seal and if the workingmen want to touch that, all leavers are put in operation to restore "liberty". Militia, police, and deputy sheriffs and United States troops are put in motion. It crashes and the blood of working men who have contended against this institution of the gluttons colors the ground. Thus in Belgium, thus in the United States. And so it goes in the old rut. Sneered at and despised the workingman will be as long as he does not arm himself. In the trade Unions they put great stress on insurance against sickness: against the death through a Pinkerton scoundrel of a number of the militia; no provisions are made to them; those provisions do not cost more than an initiation fee in some lodges. It is true that hundreds have armed themselves.

But thousands are still unarmed. Every Trades Union should make it obligatory for every member to keep a good gun at home and ammunition. The time is probably not very far when such neglect would be bitterly felt, and the governing class is prepared, and their demands and their importunes is backed by muskets and gatling guns. Working men follow this example."


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