The Chicago Martyrs by John P. Altgeld

112
ADDRESS OF AT,BERT R PARSONS.
ADDRESS OF ALBERT R. PARSONS.
113
A. "Yes, sir." .
Q. "Then, don't you believe that society has a right to prote~t itself?"
A. " Not to take life."
Challenged for cause by Mr. Ingham.
Now, you see that this is proof positive that the capitaliBtic system is u~held
by force, is perpetuated by force. I_awyer In~ham calls it in a genenc
term, society. What do you mean by " society?" What is " society?" Why,
a wage worker is no part of society, except to build the palaces for t~e fel.lows
who run society, to live in, and furnish them with fine clothes and mce wmes,
with luxury and ease, and so on. They-the workers-are no more part of
that society than the slave was of the plantation in the south. They are part
of the society as the mud-sills who do the work, but have no part of the benefits.
That is the society to which my friend Ingham refers.
Now, we do not want to obey-we Anarchists; we do not want to obe~
this society-this generic society. What is Vanderbilt, Gould, Mr, Phil
Armour, and a lot of that kind? They are the parasites, the leeches, who
take all and cry for more. That is society. That constitutes the present
society. Now, we do not like those fellows; we do not want to obey them.
We do not want to serve them: we do not want to he slaves to them, and by
golly, they are going to take ~ur lives because we do not want to obey them;
because we are Anarchists, for Anarchy simply means disobedience. Now is
that not infamous-is that not ridiculous? The present society is the slavery
of labor.
Now, every juryman was asked these questions by, I believe, Mr. Grinnell
,-or Mr. Ingham-one or the other:
"Do you believe in the enforcement of the law?"
"Do you believe that society has a right to protect itself by law?"
" Have you any sympathy for any person or class whose object is the
overthrow of the law, or whose object is to overthrow law and government by
violence? "
Now, your bonor, wbat is govemment but violence? \Vbat is it? FOlice.
The last resort of every law is force. They have in reserve, always in reserve,
you understand. the police and the militia, always; as long as nobody q uestions
the law, of course nothing is saidabout the club (ill' the bayonet. But
let a strike take place; let the working class object to overwork, starvation
wages, or compulsory idleness, then out come the police, the militia, and the
Pinkerton army to preserve "law and order," to fOI'ce, to drive tbe workers
into submission, and" protect" society. Tbus labor is enslaved by law. Oh,
you sly rogues! Oh, you sly fellows! Why, it is you who cause the workin/!.­
man-especially if he is an Anarchist like me-to occupy this position. He is
damned if he does, and he is damned if he doesn't. So it is tweedle-dee and
tweedle-dum, whichever position you take with these gentlemen upon that
question.
Now, Juryman Ames, on July 8, said he was a bat and cap merchant. He
took a seat in the box. In reply t.o the question whether he held any prejudice
against Anarchists, Communists, and Socialists, he sai,l: "Well, my
early education and bringing up is entirely against anything of this kind."
State's Attorney Grinnell then rose and objected to asking jurors as to
their prejudice against Anarchy, Communism, and Socialism. ~ou see, Mr.
Grinnell thought if he could only get that man-that kind of a fellow-on the
jury, wouldn't it be a fine thing? He doesn't want that kind of a man asked
the question. A fellow that was against all this sort of stuff and this ki.nd of
thing-he knew that tha.t kind of a man would be solid for hanging a man
that held such ideas. I suppose that was his idea; I don't know what else he
could have objected for. Mr. Grinnell said in that connection: "This is a
charge of murder. This question of Anarchy is here too much." You remember
this, gentlemen. " We are here to try these men for murder, and not
because'they are Anarchists." This was the second day of the trial, mind
you. That was Mr. Grinnell; but be was careful to aek everyone of the jurymen
if they had any sympathy, to ask them if they were in favor of the labor
movement; if they were' members of a labor union; if they were members of
a trades union-he was very particular to find that out-and in arguing the
case before the jury he and his assistants finally declared that Anarchy was
,on trial, and that was the thing we must be conwcted of.
H. E. Graves was a railroad superintendent.'
Q. "Are you opposed to labor unions or prejudiced against members of
labor organizations?"
.A. "I am; . I a.m opposed to labor organizations of any and all
descriptions."
Judge Gary inquired of him as follows:
Q. "You believe in individualism-that is; everyone, whether-a capitalist
or a laborer, acting for himself, do you-yon are opposed to combination?
"
A. " Yes, sir."
Attorney Foster-" Do you believe in railroad pools'?"
A. "Yes, sir."
He was laughed out of the court room. Now, Judge Gary, in his qul'stions
to tbis man, teaches us individualism. Now, that is Anarchy, pure
and simple.
The Court-Do you take that from any short-hand report?
Mr. Parsons-Yes, sir.
Mr. Foster-That is true, so far as the answer of the witness is concerned.
The Court-It don't sound like anything I would say.
Mr. Parsons-Do you believe in individualism, every one, whether capitalist
or laborer, acting for himself, do you'? Your honor. I took that down
at the time you said it. I did not take it from the short-hand reports.
The Court-I don't care. Go op.
Mr. Foster-What I have reference to is what the juror answered.
The Court-My own language is cited there. I don't remember it now,
but it is of no consequence. Go on.
Mr. Parsons-If everyone acted for himself, as the judge says, that
would be liberty, and liberty is the end of authority, of government and of
tatute lawll.
.July I:l.-.Tnryman Reed, a State street music dealer. Attorney Ingham
MI\yH: "I r tho prieoDers are jl:uilty you want them convicted; and if they are
hlllu( lilt 011 1Vl\lIt them 1\('qnitte