Pastor Samuel Fielden (Biographical note)
Address to the Tribunal's indictments for acts of Haymarket.
was born in Todmorden, Lancashire (England) in 1844, spent his youth working in the workshops, and entering the Age of Reason, he received a Methodist minister. He was later appointed superintendent Sunday school in his native country. In 1864 he moved to New York and work on a few looms. The following year he moved to Chicago, and since then worked as a laborer. He joined the Liberal League in 1880, where he made acquaintance with Spies and Parsons, was declared socialist, was one of the most active members of the International Workers Association. It was a great orator and deep thinker. Fielden
addressed very long, for which reason we will not extract as complete as we would wish, and even give you a different way from that given to others to summarize as best he said.
began reciting poetry Freiligrath German writer, entitled The Revolution, and eloquently argued that the intention is to accuse him of revolutionary. As judge offenders to profess anarchist ideas appealed to the state constitution and especially the natural law, above all constitutions, to think freely, and showed that it was ordered to defend absurd anarchy and revolution. The history of all peoples to test every new idea was and is revolutionary, and not kill the idea by suppressing the defenders. Discarded
these two extremes, said
"... I came to the United States in 1868. I first in Ohio and came to Chicago in 1869. There are beautiful buildings in Chicago that show an improvement, it is difficult to come over on a street where I did not produce something with my own hands. And so I remind you that when you did since the charges saying that we had tried to live without working at the expense of ordinary people. The only one who later was able to clarify this matter was Zeller, secretary of the Workers Central Union, and when asked if he had received money for speaking and organizing Association sections, this man, who was brought into the process to prevent the people against us, because there is nothing detrimental to an individual as proof that work for interest and is therefore a despicable mercenary; when the time came, I repeat, that this man could tell the truth, that he might confirm the allegation, if true, every one of those guys were interested in proving that fact I oppose speak and stunned the room with the noise with your shoes. We are judged by a jury believe us guilty. Now ye tried by another jury to believe you turn ... also guilty. "
And speaking of socialism said
been in a state or disposition research and noting that there is something wrong in our social system, I attended several rallies and compared what they said workers with my own observations. I recognized that something was wrong: my ideas did not make me understand the remedy, but it led to his identification with the same energy that had brought me to these changes, years ago. There is always a period in one's life in such and such a nice feeling is stirred or shaken by any other person. While not yet have understood the idea, and is already convinced of the truth in response to sympathetic feeling that the other produced. Otherwise not happened to me in my research on political economy. Knew what was the error, falsehood, but did not know the cure to social ills, but discussing and analyzing things and examining the remedies put in vogue now, some people told me that socialism meant equality of conditions, and this was the teaching. I realized then that truth, and since I was a socialist. I learned more and more, I recognized the medicine to combat social evils, and as I judged with the right to propagate, spread the disease. The United States Constitution when he says: The right to free speech can not be denied given to every citizen, granted to every individual the right to express their thoughts. I have invoked the principles of socialism and the social economy, and why this and for that reason alone I am here and I am condemned to death? What is socialism? Is taking one another's property? Is this what socialism means in the common acceptation of the word? No. If I answer this question as short as the adversaries of socialism, I would say that this prevents anyone take what is not theirs. Socialism is equality and socialism recognizes the fact that no one is socially responsible for what it is that all social ills are the product of poverty, and scientific socialism shows that we all must avoid and fight evil wherever be. There is no criminal to deny that any crime at its source is the product of misery. Well, I am accused of stirring the passions, I am accused of arson because I said that society degrades man to reduce it to the category of animal. Walk, go to the homes of the poor, and you will see them piled up in the smallest space possible, breathing an infernal atmosphere of sickness and death. Do you think these men are really conscious of what they do? No way. Is the product of certain conditions, certain ways in which they were born, which requires them to be what they are and nothing more than what they are. I could show you here a thousand examples.
The social issue is an issue as European and American. In large U.S. industry, the worker carries a miserable life, the poor woman as a prostitute to live, children die prematurely destroyed by the arduous tasks they have to engage, and a large part of your daily also is impoverished. "Where is the difference from country to country?
You brought the bourgeois press reporters to prove my revolutionary language, and I have shown that have attended our meetings or visit our adversaries have been able to prove the falsity of socialism, which in our meetings we have invited representatives of the press, industry and trade, and almost always have the no answer, and, in short, I say that a reporter is a man who does not depend on itself, that is not free, who works at the instigation of others, and so can accuse of a crime who proclaim the most virtuous of all men. Moreover, all meetings convened by the American group were in dispute. A citizen of Washington who came here to fight us in 1880, has written repeatedly offered to testify that our meetings were not intended to arouse the people to prey, as you say, but simply a discussion of economic issues. Twenty more witnesses were prepared to confirm the same. This was in the event that we are accused in that sense. But here we saw that what was actually accused us of anarchists, and those witnesses that did not come because they were not necessary .... " Defend
Fielden after charges of conspiracy and murder, putting a few in front of other statements of witnesses, giving dates and places and trying over and over again that he was an ardent proponent of the lawlessness, but not a criminal. He was accused of having fired a gun at the police, and tested with the same anti-witness testimony was false, he was accused of having said:
"... Here come the bloody (citing the police), fulfill your duty and I will fulfill mine ... "and not only showed no such words spoken but had ruled that if not sufficient cause for condemning him to death, he was accused of having said "Abolish the law," and to this end said
"... Remember that I uttered these words borrowing from a speech by Mr. Foran in Congress. And if it is true, as it says that nothing can be done by legislation that is favorable to communal interests, nothing more logical than that phrase. You can not legislate without hurting the interests of some, the law must necessarily favor some interests and disadvantage others. If, therefore, nothing can be achieved through legislation and hundreds of men receive a salary for making laws, it is natural that the great majority who do not receive any favors from the law, dispense with it, and it dispenses with such a majority. It is, therefore, a terrible sentence pronounced by me. If it had not broken the Haymarket bomb, it would not occur to anyone that that phrase was probably much less ... scary. "
addition there was no need to cause any conflict the night of 4, because the rally had been peaceful and the language of the speakers could not be in any way inflammatory.
"Moreover, the constitution does not define or determine what is the revolutionary language and what not, and therefore can not condemn this or that. But if determined, would we do so dumb that we had not considered? ". Interrupted
Fielden's speech to suspend the session, resumed at two o'clock in the afternoon, insisting on their views on laws and dissecting the events of Mc. Cormicks and revolutionary propaganda of all time and all the ideas in connection with the propaganda by the anarchists. He concluded with an eloquent period whose main paragraphs are:
"... If I judge convicted for having spread socialism, and I do not deny it, then ahorcadme for telling the truth ...
... If you want my life to invoke the principles of socialism and anarchy, as I understand and I think honestly that I have invoked in favor of humanity, I am happy and I think the price is insignificant in the great results of our sacrifice. ..
... I love my fellow workers and myself. I hate tyranny, evil and injustice. The nineteenth century is guilty of hanging their best friends. It will soon sound the hour of repentance. Today the sun shines for mankind, but because for us it can not illuminate happiest days, I feel happy to die, especially if my death can overtake a single minute of your happy day that shine better for workers. I think there will come a time when the ruins of corruption, will rise the splendid morning emancipated world, free from all evils, all monstrous anachronisms of our time and our outdated institutions .... "
Fielden's speech can be said that it was the detailed analysis of the crude comedy prepared by the Bonfield, Grinnell and others of his ilk.
Fielden died in 1922 and was not buried with his fellow martyrs because, as he had wished.
Samuel Fielden, the pastor, the fighter for justice ...
http://www.enredando.org.ar/agencia.shtml?AA_SL_Session=22fab8c4d75ab48b626f1a23dff75d38&x=48376
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