Life of Albert Parsons

down in the fertile valleys, the beautiful meadows and flourishing villages! Of the latter you can count a dozen, all located around this mount; and do you know that all these villages, and some others which have been laid waste during the thirty year's war, were tributary to the robbers who ruled over them in these three castles? Yes, the people in these villages toiled all their lives from early dawn till late at night to fill the vaults of those noble knights, who in return had the kindness to maintain "peace and order" for them. Par example: If one of these toiling peasants expressed his dissatisfaction of the existing order of things, if he complained of the heavy and unbearable tasks placed upon him, "law and order" demanded that he be placed upon one of those racks you have seen a relic, to be tortured into obedience and submission. "Society had to protect itself against this class of criminals!" The noble knights had their Grinnells, Bonfields and Pinkertons as well as their descendants of our time, they got along wonderfully well. To accomplish their beneficent objects, they did not even require the assistance of Chicago "gentleman jury"...

Many of the peasants were put to an ignominious death. Some of them would persist in their folly that it could not be the object of society nor the intention of Providence to have a thousand good people kill themselves in a laborious life for the glory, enrichment and grandeur of a few ungrateful, vicious wretches. Such dangerous teachings were a menace to society, and their promulgators were unceremoniously stamped out.

Not more than 200 feet from where we stand there is a perpendicular hole (chasm) of volcanic origin: it is about 8 feet in length and 3 feet in breadth; its depth has never been ascertained. The saying goes that scores of girls were cast into this terrible abyss by the valiant knights during their reign of peace and good order! It is said that these benevolent "respectables" of ancient times kidnapped the pretty girls of the villages, carried them like birds of pretty to their lofty abodes, and then when they got tired of them, or found "something better." disposed of them in this way...

Oh, I see, you shake your head incredulously! Have you never seen the dumping grounds of the modern Knighthood in our large cities- a similar abyss? No? It is more frightful than the one I have told you about; its name is prostitution...

You don't believe the people would have borne all these outrages-? My friend, your rebellious spirit carries you away. The "orderly and good people" suffered these atrocities just as silently as out "law and order abiding workingmen" bide them to-day. I told you what happened to those who showed resistance!

My words make you sad, turn you pessimistic? Let me show you something else. Look through between these two mounts; can you see a tower in the dim distance-yes? At the side of this tower are yet to be seen the ruins