Let the voice of the people be heard.
-Albert Parsons
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Saturday September 18, 1915
Chicago, Illinois - Monument for John P. Altgeld Unveiled at Labor Day Celebration
Monument of John Peter Altgeld by Gutzon Borglum
Lucy Parsons describes the event:
Lucy Parsons
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Ten years after his death, the people, the plain common people, assembled in beautiful Lincoln Park, and with uncovered heads, witnessed the unveiling of the grand statue, and the beautiful group, representing the working class, the class from whose loins the governor himself had sprung, and whom in his days of exaltation, he never forgot, or deserted. He was a man before he was a politician. He was one of those rare characters who could remain true to his high ideals in spite of politics.
So, now stands the statue of the immortal Altgeld, the Colossus, looking out upon Lake Michigan, with that firm, placid expression upon the face, that the writer so often observed, when he, in his matchless oratory, pleaded a better, juster future for the oppressed. Grouped around his noble form, is a proletarian family, father, mother and child, closely nestling under his outstretched protecting arm.
From the Everett, Washington, Labor Journal of September 17, 1915:
ALTGELD'S MEMORY HONORED IN CHICAGO
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Governor Altgeld
CHICAGO.-Organized labor joined with federal and state officials Labor Day in paying honor to the memory of John Peter Altgeld, former governor of Illinois, by unveiling a statute of this champion of common rights.
[Gov. Dunne said:]
Altgeld was a friend of the common people and never feared to take a stand with them...Pre-eminently he had the courage of his convictions. He upheld the right and denounced the wrong at all times, under all circumstances, and in every place.
He believed the conviction of the anarchists was the result of the mob's demand, although the mob was clothed in purple and fine linen. When he was elected governor he had the courage to do what was a most unpopular thing at that time-to pardon the anarchists then confined at Joliet. In so doing he gave his reasons, and the doing startled the whole community.
His moral courage was again displayed when President Cleveland without request from governor, legislature or mayor, sent federal troops into this city for purpose of suppressing riot. He protested, and protested vigorously.
Devotion to public interest compelled him to neglect his private business and during his term of office he became seriously embarrassed financially. But in spite of this, this man had the resolute honesty and iron-like integrity which made him refuse a bribe of half a million dollars. I know of no man who was more devoted to the cause of human liberty, whether it was in his own land or in the land of strangers.
[Photograph added.]
From the Duluth Labor World of September 11, 1915:
ALTGELD STATUE UNVEILED IN PARK
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Artistic Feuds Forgotten While Thousands
Honor Late Governor of Illinois.
William Jennings Bryan
CHICAGO, Sept. 10.-Artistic feuds were laid aside Labor Day while dedicatory ceremonies incident to the unveiling of the much discussed statue of former Governor John P. Altgeld were being held in Lincoln park.
In the throng which gathered around the stature while Governor Dunne, former Secretary of State Bryan and John Fitzpatrick, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, made addresses, were men from every walk of life.
Laborers were there-thousands of them, men prominent in the business and political life of the state, personal friends of the man whose memory the statue was immortalizing; Gutson Borglum, the sculptor who carved the statute; local artists who criticized it-all mingled in the crowd of 5,000 or more.
Near Altgeld Residence.
Undaunted by the threat of rain, they stood in the wet grass or sat on damp benches watching the ceremonies and listening to the addresses.
The statue stands in the north end of Lincoln Park within a few hundred feet of the Brewster apartments at 500 Diversey boulevard, the last residence of Governor Altgeld.
The uncovering of the monument, following an address by Daniel L. Cruice, member of the Altgeld memorial commission, was the signal for prolonged cheers.
Mr. Bryan was introduced as the principal speaker of the day by Louis F. Post, assistant secretary of labor, who presided over the ceremonies.
Bryan Makes Address.
[Said Mr. Bryan:]
Only a few persons in a generation can earn a distinction such as Governor Altgeld earned...and yet the way is open to anyone who will learn the road to the hearts of men. He had no illustrious family name to aid him in his rise. He began at the bottom and went steadily to the top because he was always interesting himself in thinks bigger than himself.
A man cannot lift himself above the heads of other men. He must be lifted, and in order to be lifted he must attach himself to something stronger than himself. This Altgeld did in instance after instance, and thus he rose above the heads of other men and became a distinct figure in the eyes of all the nation.
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[Photograph added.]
Lucy Parsons Pays Tribute to Governor Altgeld:
Mrs. Parson is republishing Altgeld's explanation for why he pardoned the three Haymarket Anarchist, those three who did not hang in 1887, but were confined in Joliet Prison. The following is a moving tribute written by Mrs. Parsons for Governor Altgeld as a preface for the her publication of the Altgeld pardon message:
Preface
In publishing the Pardon of Gov. J. P. Altgeld, I am actuated by the sole desire to inform the public generally, and the present generation particularly, regarding the Anarchists' case.
The men who were hanged in Chicago on November the 11th, 1887, the Anarchists, one of them my beloved husband, Albert R. Parsons, were innocent of any crime. They were labor organizers of rare ability.
Gov. Altgeld pardoned the three men who were confined in Joliet prison, because he believed their conviction was the result of the mob's demand, although the "mob was clothed in purple and fine linen" (from Gov. Dunne's speech at the unveiling of Altgeld's statue, in Lincoln Park, Chicago).
Some time ago, I published the "Famous Speeches of the Chicago Anarchists, in reply as to why the sentence of death should not be pronounced upon them." These "Famous Speeches" have met with a large sale, and I have the satisfaction to know that their publication has done a great deal to enlighten the public mind, as to the conspiracy and the conspirators who sent my innocent husband and his comrades to the gallows.
As my life's work is to prove their innocence, I now ask the public to carefully read these pages, especially as Altgeld had been judge before he was elected governor, consequently, he could examine the Anarchists' case, with a calm, clear, discriminating mind, and being just and honest, he pronounced them, "Not Guilty," unconditionally releasing the three men who had not been judicially murdered. For this noble, just and humane act, Gov. Altgeld was hounded, abused, ostracized, and boycotted, by the "mob in purple and fine linen," until he lost his splendid property, Unity building, and other holdings, and from being a rich, honored citizen, and governor of the great State of Illinois, "The mob in purple and fine linen" forced him to die, practically a pauper.
Ten years after his death, the people, the plain common people, assembled in beautiful Lincoln Park, and with uncovered heads, witnessed the unveiling of the grand statue, and the beautiful group, representing the working class, the class from whose loins the governor himself had sprung, and whom in his days of exaltation, he never forgot, or deserted. He was a man before he was a politician. He was one of those rare characters who could remain true to his high ideals in spite of politics.
So, now stands the statue of the immortal Altgeld, the Colossus, looking out upon Lake Michigan, with that firm, placid expression upon the face, that the writer so often observed, when he, in his matchless oratory, pleaded a better, juster future for the oppressed. Grouped around his noble form, is a proletarian family, father, mother and child, closely nestling under his outstretched protecting arm.
It is seldom that the artist can catch, as it were, the real character of his subject clearly to enable him to impress it upon lifeless stone and metal, but Borglum, the designer, has shown his rare genius in impressing upon cold impressionless bronze the most noble characteristics of his subject, that of protecting the weak against the aggressions of the strong.
When death laid his cold, icy grasp upon J. P. Altgeld, and declared that time for him should be no more, Altgeld, at that very moment, was pleading the cause of oppressed South Africa from the public platform, in Joliet, Ill. So he fell as the hero falleth-unconquered.
Since Illinois was admitted as a sister state to the states of this union, more than three quarters of a century ago, many of her own sons and other men have been elected to govern her, but only one, so far, has she honored with a monument in the most beautiful park of her largest city. John P. Altgeld, not one of her own sons, nor even a native American, has this distinguishing honor
Why? Because he, disregarding the blandishments of the "mob in purple and fine linen," regardless of consequences, followed Justice where she led, and she led him to the prison doors of Joliet, where three innocent laboring men were imprisoned. She seized his strong arm, back flew bolts and bars, opened wide the doors, three working men are restored to their families and their friends,-vindicated by their governor! And the five, their co-defendants, who had been murdered five years previously, were also vindicated!
In the years to come, children yet unborn, will make their pilgrimages to Lincoln Park, to pay homage to the Governor, who had the courage to stand up against the howls of the "mob in purple and fine linen."
LUCY E. PARSONS.
Chicago, Illinois, September 8, 1915.
[Photograph and paragraph break added.]
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SOURCES
Labor Journal
(Everett, Washington)
-Sept 17, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The Labor World
(Duluth, Minnesota)
-Sept 11, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Gov. John P. Altgeld's pardon of the anarchists
and his masterly review of the Haymarket Riot
Preface by Lucy E. Parsons
Lucy E Parsons, 1915
https://archive.org/...
IMAGES
Monument of John Peter Altgeld
by Gutzon Borglum
pdf! http://www.cpdit01.com/...
Lucy Parsons,
Chicago Hunger Riot Arrest, Jan 1915
http://www.thenation.com/...
John Peter Altgeld
https://archive.org/...
William Jennings Bryan
https://en.wikipedia.org/...
Altgeld Monument, Chicago 1915
https://archive.org/...
Gov Altgeld's Pardon,
preface by Lucy Parsons, 1915
https://archive.org/...
See also:
Life of Albert R. Parsons,
with brief history of the labor movement in America
-by Lucy E. Parsons
Chicago, 1889
https://archive.org/...
The Chicago martyrs: the famous speeches
of the eight anarchists in Judge Gary's court,
October 7, 8, 9, 1886;
and Altgeld's Reasons for pardoning
Fielden, Neebe, and Schwab
Free Society, 1899
https://books.google.com/...
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Annie Laurie - John McDermott
(Sung by Albert Parsons for Lucy Parsons the night before he was executed.)
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