You’ll have to bear with me for a moment here. It has been a while since I took a high school history course. But I remember when we did, we briefly touched on the Haymarket Affair.
The Haymarket Affair happened May 4, 1886 in Chicago, Ill. Demonstrators were picketing for an 8 hour work day (something we still don’t have in the US). Then the police tried to break it up, and someone threw a bomb into the crowd. Few demonstrators were hurt, but apparently several policemen were killed. Then it apparently turned into a symbol of communism and socialism. In fact, May Day celebrations in communist countries are said to mirror the event (forgetting for the moment it actually occurred May 4th).
Why the Haymarket Affair association with communism? Why do they want us to remember it? Several policemen were killed. I would think they would hope we would forget an event like that. In fact, if there were anyone who would want us to remember it, I would think it would be the police, wouldn’t it?
Please help me with my confusion on this subject. And BTW, I place this in GD because I assume there is no one answer.
Dredging up from my own memory, I think there was some controversy about whether the people accused of tossing the bomb into the crowd actually did it (IIRC, it was anarchists that supposedly did it, and several were hanged, and the rest got long sentences in prison). However, I think it was the crack down against such protests after that marked the turning point for labor in their struggle against industry (and the shift in public perceptions), and I think it was this turning point that is the reason for the May Day celebrations. Sort of a water shed moment for labor, both in the US and obviously in labor movements outside of the US (IIRC, again from memory, it was immigrant labor who was particularly cracked down on after this), though it had a pretty profound impact here as well (though it’s not celebrated here).
There is no specific connection betwixt Haymarket and communism. The organizers of the demonstration, such as they were, ( and many thousands of other American workers demonstrated outside Chicago ), were generally Anarchists and Social Revolutionaries ( near to Cadets ). Some would derive inspiration from Marxian writings, but reject communist solutions.
Why it was a big deal is not so much the tragic killing of both police and demonstrators by some random advocate of Action of the Deed, but the railroading of those accused and executed by the authorities. An anonymous police official told the Chicago Tribune, “A very large number of the police were wounded by each other’s revolvers. … It was every man for himself, and while some got two or three squares away, the rest emptied their revolvers, mainly into each other.” Selection of the jury was extraordinarily difficult, lasting three weeks, and nearly one thousand persons called. All union members and anyone who expressed sympathy toward socialism were dismissed. In the end a jury of 12 was seated, most of whom confessed prejudice towards the defendants. Despite their professions of prejudice Judge Gary seated those who declared that despite their prejudices they would acquit if the evidence supported it, refusing to dismiss for prejudice. Eventually the peremptory challenges of the defense were exhausted. Frustrated by the hundreds of jurors who were being dismissed, a bailiff was appointed who selected jurors rather than calling them at random. The bailiff proved prejudiced himself and selected jurors who seemed likely to convict based on their social position and attitudes toward the defendants. The prosecution, led by Julius Grinnell, argued that since the defendants had not actively discouraged the person who had thrown the bomb, they were therefore equally responsible as conspirators.
The next day (November 11, 1887) four defendants—Engel, Fischer, Parsons, and Spies—were taken to the gallows in white robes and hoods. They sang the Marseillaise, then the anthem of the international revolutionary movement. Family members including Lucy Parsons, who attempted to see them for the last time, were arrested and searched for bombs (none were found). According to witnesses, in the moments before the men were hanged, Spies shouted, “The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today!” Witnesses reported that the condemned men did not die immediately when they dropped, but strangled to death slowly, a sight which left the spectators visibly shaken.* Wikipedia
The hoods and robes give a rather mediaeval aspect; however one must hope the whole thing inspired the Chicago police through intensive sessions of self-criticism to eschewing brutality and feeling greater empathy with their citizenry.
The big issue was that most of the people who were eventually charged hadn’t even been present at the demonstration. Although the actual bomb thrower was never identified, the government decided that the bomb throwing had been part of a pre-planned attack and used it as a reason to round up several radical leaders. The trial was able to prove the defendants were radicals but there was no conclusive evidence they had any connection to the bomb that was thrown. Nonetheless all eight defendants were found guilty.
The connection is the labor movement. The May 1 deadline for putting the eight-hour day into effect across all industries had come and gone, and that gave rise to the rally on May 4. Four years later another deadline was set for May 1, 1890. Meanwhile, the Second International had in 1889 declared May 1 as International Workers’ Day.
I like the irony that May 1, which the rest of the world celebrates as Labor Day, the US designates as Law Day. Just to make it clear who won.
Most? Maybe some, but the only time I’ve ever gotten time-and-a-half for more than 8 hours was when I was in a union. And that was because of the union contract, not the FLSA. Otherwise it’s just been overtime for more than 40 hours in a week. Or none at all because I was exempt.
The OP should review the writings of a certain Mr Adams on this topic. I’m surprised I’m the first to post this link in this thread.
