What happened in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 will be forever etched in our memory just as much as what transpired in New York City on September 11, 2001.
But the purpose of this diary is to compare what happened recently in Washington with Chicago on May 3, 1886—a tragically violent event that today is long forgotten—The Haymarket Affair.
I was watching the Republican defense of Trump’s deplorable behavior by his lawyer, who argued that impeaching the President was tantamount to destroying the First Amendment right to free speech. I watched all I could stand before walking out. The gist of the Republican argument was Trump, as President of the United States, could say whatever he wants—even if it incites a deadly riotous insurrection and results in deadly violence.
What maddens me the most about this defense is that it sounds so lofty; who can object to freedom of speech? Yet remembering the Haymarket Affair from David Wallechinsky’s The People’s Almanac (1975) made me realize that what Trump’s defense was basically saying was NOT that the First Amendment protected Trump’s alleged right to make an inflammatory speech to urge his devotees to overthrow the government—but that Trump, being President, was ABOVE the law. Looking back in history to the Haymarket Affair, we can clearly see where freedom of speech and assembly was being wrongfully abrogated and ignored—whereas the Republicans are willing to give Trump carte blanch license to say whatever the hell he wants, regardless of whose lives are threatened, endangered or murdered.
Spoiler alert: In the Haymarket Affair, the innocent pay with imprisonment and execution by the state. In the Capital Insurrection, Trump will avoid conviction in the Senate and walk free. As Mel Brooks said in his movie, A History of the World, Part I, “It’s good to be the King!”
In May 1876 labor leaders in Chicago were protesting unfair working conditions and calling for an eight-hour day. Some workers were forced to work twelve or more hours a day. There was a strike on May 1st with peaceful marches and demonstrations. The leaders of the labor movement were neither popular with local business interests nor the local press. Rightly or wrongly, they were called archaists, radicals, socialists, and aliens (German immigrants.)
Speeches called for shorter working hours and encouraged workers to stand together. There were violent clashes with police and episodes of police brutality. There were several speeches the night of May 3rd. The last speaker was winding down when 180 police demanded the meeting “peacefully and immediately disperse.”
The final speaker argued, “We are peaceable,” but wisely decided to call it quits. Quoting Wallechinsky,
Without warning a dynamite bomb flew through the air, hit the ground and exploded in front of the police. The police re-formed and opened fire.
… One policeman died immediately and six others died in the hospital. Over 70 law officers were injured. The civilian casualties were 2 dead and an estimated 60 wounded…
It should go without saying, that such resorts to violence are deplorable. Violent protest is never justified. It not only causes irreparable harm and inevitable loss of life; it backfires. Due to what I call the Kaepernick Effect, it takes the focus off what you are protesting, and puts it back on the protestors. This effect was exacerbated by the police who, according to Wallechinsky, “were more interested in getting evidence against those arrested than in finding the bomb thrower.”
Nine leaders of the movement were prosecuted on such charges as murder and accessory to murder. Seven went to court. (Two went missing.) All seven were tried at the same time and the judge was complicit with the prosecution who demanded a jury not afraid to hang the accused.
The prosecution case was flimsy to say the least. Despite the fact that most of the accused had no evidence that any of the defendants had actually thrown the bomb.
The state felt that their most effective tactic was to attack the political ideals of the “anarchists.”
All were found guilty. One man was sentenced for 15 years in prison. The rest were sentenced to be hanged. Four were hung to death. One committed suicide. Two others were pardoned when a new governor of Illinois was elected. His act was one of political courage in the name of justice. Doing so severely damaged his political career, but Governor John Atgeld believed doing the right thing was more important than his own personal political ambitions.
If only the Republican members of Senate had such political courage. Instead history will prove them to be political cowards.
Trump will get away with his crimes on and up to January 6, 2021, because, in essence, he is the King. He alone, has absolute freedom of speech. He alone has rights no ordinary man, fighting for labor reform, civil rights, black lives matter, or any other just cause possesses under the law. But then again, a dictator doesn’t have to obey the law—dictator is above the law.
Trump’s cause: overturning an election because he lost. The labor leader’s cause: end deplorable working conditions. The protestors who were accused falsely of conspiring for murder at a rally in 1886 paid with their lives for their exercise of free speech. If Trump is convicted by the Senate, the only severe consequence will be the inability to hold future political office.
At his trial one man facing the death penalty responded:
Now I speak plainly. Does it follow that I hold these views, that I committed or had anything to do with the commission of that act at the Haymarket?
Yet Donald Trump, who incited a riot that could have killed hundreds of Representatives, Senators, and many others—shouldn’t be impeached because that would infringe on his First Amendment rights? Give me a break. Then again, it’s good to be the King!