Why do we observe Labor Day in September when the rest of the world celebrates it on May 1? And why do we celebrate it with barbecues instead of parades and speeches?

May Day, known as Labour Day everywhere but in America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, is a socialist holiday. It commemorates the execution for conspiracy to murder of the organizers of a labor demonstration in Haymarket Square in Chicago in 1886 that got out of hand when an unknown person threw a bomb at a policeman. The "Haymarket martyrs" were the anarchists and socialists leading the rally who had no direct involvement but were found to have "encouraged" the bomber. Four were hanged; on the gallows they sang the Marseillaise, then and is now both the anthem of the international revolutionary socialist movement and the French national anthem.

May Day is also called the International Workers Day and is still the biggest day of the year for anarchists, socialists, communists, and organized labor. It is marked by large street demonstrations put together by unions.

May Day and its anarcho-socialist and communist trappings are so reviled in America that every president since Eisenhower in 1958 has proclaimed May 1 both Loyalty Day, a day set aside for "a reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom," and Law Day, "for the cultivation of the respect for law that is so vital to the democratic way of life." It is a day to celebrate not being an anarchist, socialist, or communist. The opposite of what virtually everybody else on the planet is celebrating that day. Little things like this made America one of the last countries to fall into the throes of collectivism. Perhaps we can do one other little thing—rename Labor Day.

We've already moved on from any associations with organized labor. We don't celebrate Labor Day with parades of union workers. We grill meat. We spend time with family. Instead of agitating for political change, we relax. It is a true celebration. And we have Grover Cleveland to thank for it.

President Cleveland was one of our least heralded leaders and arguably the greatest Democratic president of the past 130 years. Cleveland was a libertarian a century before the Libertarian Party was formed. He opposed imperialism, taxes, tariffs, special interests, and the devaluation of America's currency through inflation. He was one of the few and last politicians in America with the integrity to support the gold standard.

But he is better known for being the only president to serve two non-successive terms. Cleveland won in 1884 with support from Democrats and reformist Republicans called "Mugwumps," lost in 1888 due in part to voting fraud, and won again in 1892.

Economics professor Thomas DiLorenzo calls Cleveland the "last good Democrat." He suggests that Cleveland's philosophy is best epitomized in one phrase from his second inaugural address: "The lessons of paternalism ought to be unlearned." Cleveland vetoed every unconstitutional bill that crossed his desk. He railed against any special interests or special favors to any groups for any reason. In foreign policy, he cited Washington and Jefferson in avoiding entangling alliances. He was a good president—twice.

Haymarket happened in his first term. Socialists and labor organizers the world over tried to use the tragedy to bolster their desire for a May 1 labor holiday. Cleveland feared that a national labor holiday coinciding with the anniversary of the riots would strengthen the socialist movement. The Knights of Labor, a smaller labor group that wasn't involved with the riots, had organized labor parades for several years in September. Cleveland adopted their position and put Labor Day on the calendar. The holiday called for parades to exhibit "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," but Americans transformed it into a day of fun.

May Day is a commemoration of death and an ode to planned economies and big government. The day and the holiday we celebrate the first Monday of every September is a celebration of life, family, spontaneity; it has become a libertarian holiday.

Why not make it official? Let's rename it Grover Cleveland Day in honor of the man who has given us an extra day of summer every year.

phil@maymin.com

References:

• Various Wikipedia articles such as the one on Labor day and the Haymarket riots.
• "The Last Good Democrat " by Thomas DiLorenzo.