Ye  friends  of  mine  who  are  against  us !  do  not  forther
strive  to  prolong  the  stressful  times.  Come  over  and
help  us.  Be  not  terrified  by  alarmists.  The  transforma-
tions of  time  always  appear  dangerous  to  those  who  are
heedless  of  the  perspective  of  the  world.  Men  were
horrified,  a  brief  century  ago,  when  the  new  ideas  set
themselves  up  against  serfdom,  and  superstition,  and
tyrannism ;  but  now  in  our  time,  when  these  ideas  are
at  large,  has  the  globe  burst  ?  It  was  a  dread  thing  for
even  the  wise  men  of  the  sixteenth  century  to  hear  of  the
innovations  that  menaced  the  mediaeval  establishment;
but  those  innovations  are  now  public  law,  and  yet  the
world  stands.  Back  through  the  ages  every  new  dis-
pensation, including  that  of  the  gibbeted  Galilean,  has


THE  LABOR   QUESTION.  357

perplexed  and  dismayed  the  men  of  the  old  order,  who
associated  it  with  impending  calamities  and  deplorable
results.  But  still  we  know,  as  we  look  back  through
time,  that  the  recurring  transformations  have  but  shown
the  development  of  the  human  race  under  the  operation
of  invisible  law.  Does  any  simpleton  suppose  that
they  have  come  to  an  end,  or  that  he  can  put  a  stop  to
them,  or  that  there  is  no  further  necessity  for  them  ?
Simpleton,  indeed,  he  must  be !  In  these  times  there  are,
as  in  other  times  there  were,  prophecies  of  the  approach-
ing apocalypse.  It  is  not  worth  while  to  be  alarmed ;
for  it  will  surely  come,  and  our  old  world  will  rejoice  in
the  new  day.
Comrades  of  Chicago !  Farewell


SCRAPS  FROM  OTHER  SPEECHES.
THE  SCOPE  OF  ORGANIZATION.
