MayDay, looking back

Mayday, a look back                                                              January 27, 2007
The first in a three part series on Mayday
By: Wayne MacLean

  In 1886 the end of the civil war and the assassination of President Abe Lincoln were still on the mindset of the population as it had only occurred in 1865, just twenty one years earlier.  The United States was in the middle of the Industrial Revolution which brought about such new innovations as steam powered ships, the electrical power generator and later the internal combustion engine.  Workers in Chicago were abundant as were jobs for them, large companies were opening their doors daily and hiring a largely immigrant population to man their plants.  Ten and Twelve hour days, seven days a week was the norm and the workforce had been feeling the ill affects of long hard labor hours for some time.  So when a rally was planned for May 1st, 1886, that would help empower the workers, giving them a chance to have their voice heard, they acted.  They staged the largest protest the city had ever seen.  Thousands did not go to work that day, instead taking to the streets in protest of the long hours that they were forced to work.  “They took that day as their own, it was never given to them,” said James Green, Professor of History and Labor Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, author of  Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America.  He continued, “You know, I’m a history professor, and I tell my students, history doesn't repeat itself, but you have to wonder when you look at what’s happening today, because the labor movement was divided then, too. The main organization, the Knights of Labor, said, “Don't go on strike, let's talk to employers. Don't boycott, let's appeal to the American people, let’s appeal to the legislature.” But the immigrant and the community-based groups and the radical groups, the anarchists in Chicago, were all for taking direct action and had very little faith that the legislature would do the right thing, unless the people in the streets forced them to.”
  So Mayday 1886 was born and in the end hundreds of peaceful demonstrations took place around Chicago.  Speeches were given by community based organizers who wanted to see an eight hour day, which is just exactly what the protests were about, gaining something that almost everyone, at least in this part of the world, now enjoy.  However, on May 3rd, a tragedy happened, which arguably set off a chain of events that we can now look back on today and see.
  The McCormick Harvester plant, located in the city of Chicago at the time, was experiencing labor unrest.  Pickets were setup outside the plant by workers once the company locked everyone out and they brought in strikebreakers who caused a fight, which then brought in the police who intervened and in the process injured dozens of workers and killed several.  Workers who were peaceably picketing the lockout they were experiencing from their employer.  It is important to note that not a single worker in this melee has ever been recorded as being armed with anything more than picket signs.
    August Spies and Alan Parsons, who ran a press and were instrumental organizers in the eight hour struggle heard of the killings of theses workers and called a rally for the next day, May 4th, 1886 to be convened in Haymarket square.  They found some others who would speak at the rally and printed leaflets to pass around so the workers in the region could come together and discuss what happened the day before at the McCormick Harvester plant. 
    May 4th arrived and the rally was set to start at eight p.m., several members of the community stood on a wagon cart to speak to the gathered crowd, which, some reports numbered over two thousand people.  The demonstration was very peaceable and their were no incidents reported.  The police were their on the edge of the square, some 175 strong, in case they were needed and called upon.  The Mayor of Chicago was present and stayed through most of the speeches.  Around ten p.m. the crowd began to break up and there were roughly two hundred people still there milling about listening to the last speakers, the mayor, now seeing that nothing sinister was happening told the police captain to let them finish and they would be on their way.  There would be no need for police force this night.  Shortly after the mayor left, the Police Captain approached the makeshift stage and interrupted the speaker saying, “In the name of the police I order you to end this illegal gathering and disperse at once”, to which the speaker replied, “sir, we are a peaceable group and are almost finished.”  After which the police captain told them they must leave.  At this point, and it is not sure even which direction it came from, but a most unfortunate event took place.  A bomb was thrown into the gathering police and exploded with great fury.  One policeman was killed instantly and several others injured, who later succumbed to their wounds.  The police, being panicked drew their weapons and starting firing upon the crowd.  Several, unarmed protesters were killed as well as police officers as in their panic they also fired on each other.  Again, it is important to note that the crowd, although someone did throw a bomb, was unarmed.
    The next day, police rounded up and arrested every anarchist, demonstrator and union activist they could think of.  Illegal searches of peoples homes took place and their was nothing anyone could do to stop it.  In the end, eight men were arrested, and placed on trial, even though none of them could be tied to the bombing, in fact several of them weren’t  even present when it went off.  The lawyers of the accused assured them there was nothing to fear as the state had no evidence.  But despite the lack of evidence placing any of them at the scene or throwing a bomb for that matter, Judge Joseph Gray pronounced them guilty and a jury sentenced seven of the eight to death by hanging.  Only Oscar Neebe was given a sentence other than death, fifteen years in prison.  The verdicts were upheld by both the Illinois Supreme court and then the United States Supreme court after it.     
    The verdict caused mass demonstrations around the globe as internationally, workers could see a witch hunt for what it was.  The accused were given the name the Haymarket Martyrs and people worldwide revered them as heroes to the working class.
The governor, Richard James Oglesby, under great community pressure commuted the
Sentences of Samuel Fielden and Michael Schwab to life in prison.
    On the eve of the execution, using a smuggled blasting cap, Louis Lingg committed suicide.  The next day, November 11th, 1887, August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer and George Engel, were led to the gallows with hoods covering their heads singing in unison the Marseillaise, the anthem of the International Revolutionary movement.    In June of 1893, a new governor, John Peter Altgeld, after looking over the trial deemed all eight men innocent and the remaining men in prison freed.  And what of the police commander that disobeyed the Mayors orders to let the rally end without incident?  He was later tried and convicted of corruption.  The Haymarket bomber has never been identified.  Scholars since agree on one fact that is undeniable about the events that occurred, they all agree that one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in US history took place during the trial of the Haymarket Martyrs.  With no evidence, no witnesses, and no case, the state was able to try and convict eight innocent men, five of which paid with their lives.  These men died giving us the eight hour workday, and on May 1st, we remember them and continue our struggles of today.  We remember August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden and Oscar Neebe.