Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1887 — THE WESTERN STATES. [ARTICLE]

THE WESTERN STATES.

Anarchist Parsons has issued a long address to the Amer.can people, in which he attempts to show that he was convicted on speeches that he never made and articles he never wrota He wants his liberty or death, preferring the execution of the full force of his sentence to commutation. In closing he says: lam prepared to die lam ready if needs be to lay down my life for my rights and the rights of my fellow-men. But I object to be killed on false and unproved accusations. Therefore 1 cannot countenance or accept the efforts of those who would endeavor to procure a commutation of my sentence to an imprisonment in the penitentiary. Neither do I approve of any further appeals to the courts of law. I believe them to be all alike—the agency of the privileged class to perpetuate theirpower, to oppress and plunder the toiling masses. As between capital and its legal rights and labor rights tho courts of law must Blue with the capitalistic class. To appeal to them is in vain. It is tho appeal of the wage slave to his capitalistic master for liberty. The answer is curses, blows, impris- < nmeut, and death. If I had never been an anarchist before, my experience with courts and the laws of the governing classes would make me an anarchist now. No, I am not guilty. I have not been proved guilty. 1 leave it to you to decide from tho record itself as to my guilt or innocence. I cannot, therefore, accept a commutation to imprisonment. I appeal not for mercy, but for justice. Louis Lingg, one of tho convicted Chicago anarchists, has written a letter to Most’s New York paper in which the defiance and bravado exhibited by him in court are well maintained. It is indorsed by Engel In full it is as follows: Friends and Comrades: The exertions of our friends and comrades in general, and especially by the Defense Association, to appeal our case to the United States Supreme Court, makes it imperative that I should explicitly declare it my positive desire to abandon ail efforts to secure justice from the authorities. Friends and comrades. I am disgusted with the thought that I should consider the working people so utterly stupid that it would require a new affirmation by the United States Suj.reme Court (the model representative of capitalism, fleecing, and law tyranny; in order to open the eyes of the American people as to the kind of justice dispensed by judicial bandits. Should any one harbor the notion that I expect the American people to be thoroughly aroused the day fixed for my judicial murder let him remove that illusion at once. On the other hand, I wish to combat the mistaken supposition that prevails in certain badly informed circles that it is the duty of our Chicago comrades to plan our release by force. This conception is erroneous, for the reason that to be successful it would necessitate a general uprising, but this is a matter that can never be “made to order/’consequently it would be unjust to charge our comrades with inactivity or cowardice. lam fully convinced that the sacrifice of my life or those of all of us, if made at the present moment, will hurry on the collapse of tho capitalistic order of society much more quickly than in case tho Supremo Court of the United States were to juggle with it for years. Simpletons or mischievous individuals are likely to interpret my desire to discountenance a continuation of the judicial farce as an indirect acknowledgment of guilt and my losing faith in all hone. Comrades, I am not desirous of advising you what should be your course of action in the days of legalized brutality near at hand. I have only this one word to you and organized labor: Be men! With a cheer for anarchism, I shako your hands as a brother. Louis Lingg. I certify by my appended signature that the opinions ana decisions as expressed by Comrade Lingg in every respect coincide with my own. G. Engel. At a meeting of anarchist sympathizers in Cleveland resolutions were adopted protesting against their execution. The Central Executive Committee of the Union Labor party of Cincinnati has refused to intercede in behalf of the condemned men. Lucy R Parsons, wife of the condemned anarchist, was arrested on Fifth avenue, Chicago, while in the act of distributing copies of her husband's “address to the American people” to the passers-by. The arrest was made under the ordinance prohibiting the distribution of handbills, circulars, etc., in the streets. Mrs. Parsons was locked up, but was shortly released upon a deposit of $25 by the business managsr of the Arbeiter Zeitung for her appearance next morning. The National Association of the Union ExPrisoners of War held its annual meeting in Chicago last weeek. The Committee on Pensions—E. H. Williams, of Indiana, Chairman —reported the draft of a bill, which was unanimously adopted. By the terms of the bill the Secretary of the Interior was directed to place upon the pension roll the names of all surviving officers and enlisted men, including sailors, marines, militia, and volunteers, who served in the late war of the rebellion and who werg prisoners of war. It provides for those confined in rebel prisons ninety days a quarter pension; for 120 days, one-half pensjon.; for 270 days, three-quarter pension ; «uid beyond that time a full pension. Proof of having been a prisoner of war to be accepted as sufficient ground for grant- ' ing - the pensions. It was further provided that this bill should not be construed to allow ■ mere than one pension to any one person. Also, that all prisoners should in addition receive $2 a day for each and every day during Which they were imprisoned. It was ordered that the draft of this bill should be sent to every G. A & Post in the country, and that

they be asked to vote upon it A committee of three was also appointed to present the bill to the National Encampment of the G. A. R for indorsement an I recommendation. The constitution and by-laws of the association were amended so as to change the name of the organization to Union ex-Prisoners of War, and to leave out the State organizations and make the local orders directly responsible to the national organization. General W. H. Powell, of Belleville, 111, was unanimously elected President Kalamazoo (Mich.) special: “E. Follett and E. P. Walter, the former for fifteen and the latter for eight years mail agent on the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, have been notified that their services are no longer needed by the Government Their offense is pernicious activity in politics.”