Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 31, 1908
Philadelphia Police Club and Arrest Supporters of Comrade Debs
From the Appeal to Reason of October 24, 1908:
“Riot” to Hear Debs!
—-
The Philadelphia Inquirer October 12, 1908
The Philadelphia North American, under scare head lines, tells a story which has no parallel in the history of political gatherings in America. Debs was scheduled to speak in three halls in different parts of Philadelphia and long before the doors opened the streets were jammed with men, women and children who were not only anxious to hear the message of Socialism, but willing to pay for this privilege as well!
Says the North American: “Crowds packed every hall, 7,000 being the estimated number inside while as many more lined the streets outside.”
So great was the anxiety of the hungry multitude to listen to the gospel of Socialism that they crowded the doors and became frantic in their efforts to get on the inside.
There was no disorder, yet the police proceeded to club inoffensive women and children and arrest men who protested against the outrages. Here is the North American’s version of the activity of the police:
Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 30, 1908
Red Special Stops Over at Harper’s Ferry to Honor John Brown
From the Appeal to Reason of October 24, 1908:
DEBS AT HARPER’S FERRY.
—–
Tears and Cheers When the Soul of John Brown
Again Finds Utterance at the Historic
Engine-house Fort.
—–
Special Telegram to the Appeal.
Connellsville, Pa., Oct. 17.-A most dramatic scene has just occurred. The “Red Special” made a short stop at Harper’s Ferry. The comrades gathered about the monument which marked the spot where the old engine house was located, where John Brown was captured; and Gene, standing at the base of the monument, payed a tribute to the brave old warrior who made that spot sacred forever, fifty years ago. It was the most thrilling and dramatic scene of the entire trip. The comrades uncovered at the monument, as the impassioned tribute was delivered. The “Red Special” band played the Marseillaise and with never such thrilling appeal. The reports of John Brown’s rifles seemed to reverberate again in the surrounding hills. The Cumberland and the Potomac mingled their waters a few feet distant as the spirit of the abolitionist of forty years ago and the spirit of the Socialist of today mingled at the spot John Brown made immortal. There were tears and there were cheers. The spirit of the noble old warriors, transfigured the scene, and the memory of it will remain vivid and inspiring forever.-Theodore Debs.
[“John Brown in engine house” added from Leslie’s of November 5, 1859.]
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday October 29, 1908
Candidate Eugene Debs on Ideals and Purpose of Socialist Party
From the Appeal to Reason of October 24, 1908:
Get This Magazine.
—–
The Independent, published at 130 Fulton st., New York, will, in its issue of October 15, contain an article by Eugene V. Debs, entitled “The Socialist Party’s Appeal!” As a plain statement of what Socialism is and the relation of the Socialist party to the real vital questions of the day, its equal has not appeared.
This article is one of a series contributed to the Independent by each of the seven presidential candidates. The number containing Comrade Debs’ article will be mailed postpaid by the publishers to any address for ten cents.
———-
From the New York Independent of October 15, 1908:
The Socialist Party’s Appeal
BY EUGENE V. DEBS
CANDIDATE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
At a public meeting in New York City some months ago the present Presidential candidate of the Republican party was asked this question: [“]What is a man to do who is out of work in a financial panic and is starving?”
This is an intensely human as well as a very practical question. It epitomizes the problem of the unemployed and places it in bold relief. It is not too much to say that the future welfare and progress of our country-aye, the fate of civilization itself-depends upon a correct solution of this problem. In view of the supreme importance of the question it might naturally be expected that the Republican party would offer some practical and well-defined method of dealing with it, and one might suppose that the party’s standard-bearer would be in a position clearly to expound that method in making reply to his interrogator. But how pitifully inadequate was the answer! It is at least creditable to Mr. Taft’s honesty that he frankly replied, “God knows!”
When Mr. Kern, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party, was asked recently what his party proposed to do for the relief of the unemployed, he is reported to have answered, “Nothing directly, nothing socialistic. We hope that carrying out the general ideas in our platform will so restore confidence that industry will start up again. But that’s about all. In fact, that’s enough.”
These answers are not cited for any partisan purpose, but because they serve admirably to illustrate the really essential difference between the Socialist party and its most formidable political rivals. The Socialist party does not refer this important problem to the Deity for solution. It recognizes the fact that it is of human creation and must be solved by human effort. It proposes to do something “directly,” something “socialistic,” for the relief of the unemployed. The Socialist party recognizes the serious nature of the unemployed problem and aims to solve it in the only way it can be solved, namely, by removing its cause. As means of temporary relief, applicable during the period of transition to a collective system of industry, the party proposes “immediate government relief for the unemployed workers by building schools, by reforesting of cut-over and waste lands, by reclamation of arid tracts and the building of canals, and by extending all other useful public works.” Both from the standpoint of effectiveness and that of practicability this program may be offered without comment in lieu of Mr. Taft’s “God knows!” and Mr. Kern’s “hope” of restored confidence.
Pettibone was hounded to his death by Taft.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 28, 1908
St. Louis, Missouri – Eugene Debs and Mother Jones Speak to 10,000
From the St Louis Post-Dispatch of October 24, 1908:
—–
Eugene V. Debs, Socialistic candidate for the presidency of the United States, speaking at the First Regiment Armory Friday night [October 23rd], tore into Taft and Bryan to the huge delight of an audience of 6000 people, presumably Socialists, or at least those with Socialistic tendencies, and when he finished his 50-minute speech he retired bathed in perspiration, trembling with exhaustion and tottering from weakness.
He went to the arms of his devoted wife, who hurried him between rows of young militiamen away from his shouting, applauding admirers to a room in the back of the hall, where he descended a ladder to a carriage that was awaiting him in an alley and was driven to his private car and to bed. He was thoroughly exhausted.
Debs arrived in St. Louis at 6:15 Thursday night [Oct 22nd], several minutes late, and his private car was switched out of the Union Station and to a sidetrack along Clark avenue east of Eighteenth street.
Glimpse of Debs Impossible.
On Clark avenue several hundred Socialists with a banner waited to see him, but he was so carefully guarded that his admirers did not get even a glimpse of his car, and after waiting for some time they departed.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 27, 1908
Mother Jones Visits Girard; Reports on Child Labor in Alabama
From the Appeal to Reason of October 24, 1908:
—–
When Mother Jones returned from her recent trip to Alabama she stopped in Girard long enough to write the following story of her experience for the Appeal and its readers, and then hurried on to other fields to continue her work of agitating and organizing workers to battle for their emancipation.
T HAD been thirteen years since I bid farewell to the workers in Alabama and went forth to other fields to fight their bitter battles. I returned again in 1908 to see what they were doing for the welfare of their children. Governor Comer, being the chief star of the State, I went out to Avondale, on the out skirts of Birmingham, to take a glance at his slave pen. I found there some where between five and six hundred slaves. The governor, who in his generous nature could provide money for Jesus, reduced the wages of his slaves first 10 per cent, and then 16.
As the wretches were already up against starvation, a few of them struck, and I accompanied an organizer and the editor of the Labor Advocate to help organize the slaves into a union of their craft. I addressed the body, and after I got through quite a large number became members of the Textile Workers’ Union. I returned again inside of an other week, held another meeting with them and another large number joined. I was also going to complete my work on Monday, the 12th, but I had to leave for southern Illinois. He has not yet discharged any of them nor has he threatened to call an extra session of the legislature to pass the vagrancy bill in case they struck against the last reduction. Of all the God-cursed conditions that surround any gathering of slaves, or slave pen, Comer’s mill district beats them all. As you look at them you immediately conclude they have been lashed into fear, but they still have some spirit of revolt in them. They work all of thirteen hours a day. They are supposed to go in at 6 in the morning, but the machinery starts up soon after five, and they have to be there. They are supposed to get forty-five minutes for dinner, but the machinery starts up again after they are out for twenty minutes and they have to be at their post.
Pray for the dead
and fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 26, 1918
Washington, District of Columbia – Miss Sadie Gompers Passes Away
From the Duluth Labor World of October 26, 1918:
MISS GOMPERS PASSES AWAY
—–
Only Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gompers
Dies After Two Days’ Illness.
—–
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24.-Miss Sadie Gompers, only daughter of President Gompers and Mrs. Gompers, died in this city [October 14th] after a two days’ illness with influenza. Interment was private. President Gompers [of the American Federation of Labor] was in Italy with the American labor mission at the time of the tragic occurrence.
Miss Gompers was an accomplished singer, and she was well known to trade unionists because of the many conventions and public meetings she had attended with her father. The high esteem in which she was held was indicated by the telegrams and floral offerings received at the family residence from trade unionists and other friends in every section of the country.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 25, 1908
Lower East Side, New York City – Debs Speaks at Hamilton Fish Park
From the Montana News of of October 22, 1908:
LAND-SLIDE FOR SOCIALISM
—–
NEW ENGLAND WORKERS GO WILD OVER DEBS.
—–
EAST SIDE CROWDS
—–
One Hundred Policemen Required to Take Care
of the Vast Masses of People
-Debs Holding Out Well.
—–
The lower east side of New York saw the greatest demonstration in its history Tuesday afternoon [October 13th] when Eugene V. Debs, socialist candidate for president, visited it and gave his thousands of supporters an opportunity to express their devotion to him and his cause.
From Hamilton Fish park, where Mr. Debs first appeared and spoke, to Rutgers square, where he ended his visit, the automobile in which he rode was surrounded and followed by a crowd that packed the streets through which he traversed and lapped over into those adjoining until nothing but a surging, tumultuous mass of humanity could be seen.
At Rutgers square it required all of the skill and discipline of a large force of policemen to make way for the Debs automobile to the center of the square, where he was to speak. When the socialist leader at last reached the spot he turned and looked down upon the vast sea of faces that extended as far as the eye could reach.
And the enthusiasm was as unrestrained and heartfelt as the crowd itself was huge. It was impossible to have every one in that crowd hear what was said, either by Debs or any of the other speakers, but that didn’t seem to matter to the crowd, for they applauded and cheered anyway. They were there to show their regard for the greatest working class champion in America-and they showed it.
We’re not here to reform
the capitalist class,
but to wipe it out.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 24, 1908
Boston, Massachusetts – Socialist Greet Debs with Wild Enthusiasm
From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:
BOSTON SOCIALISTS WELCOME LEADER
—–
Thousands Great Debs With the
Greatest Enthusiasm.
—–
—–
Red flags, red language and red enthusiasm swept everything before them at Faneuil hall on the night of October 5 when the socialists of Boston waited patiently until nearly 10 o’clock to welcome their standard bearer, Eugene V. Debs of Illinois [Terre Haute, Indiana], locomotive fireman, grocer, legislator, labor agitator, strike director, convert to socialism and, like Bryan, three times a candidate for president.
The Cradle of Liberty got the wildest rocking both inside and out it has had in many years. As early as 6 o’clock the reds began to gather and by 7:30 o’clock the doors had to be closed, as everything was filled to the limit. Crowds surged to and fro all around the building, waving the red tri-cornered flags and shouting “Hurrah for Debs and Hanford.”
Enthusiasm to Spare.
Talk about enthusiasm. Why, the reds have both the big parties rolled into one and then beaten by fourteen miles. One of the speakers said the republicans or the democrats would have hard work to get out such a crowd. He might just as well have said it would have been impossible. First a wave of applause would surge out of the hall, and it would be met by an answering billow from the mob outside.
Inside the hall the crowd seated was only a small part of the real audience present. They hung off the balcony, up over the portraits of Sam Adams and John Hancock. They filled the space in front of the platform so that the reporters had to fight for their places. They forced their way up on the platform and pressed their way forward to the very chairs occupied by the speakers.
Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 23, 1908
Joseph Wanhope Comes Aboard the Red Special at Buffalo
From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:
ENTHUSIASM UNRIVALED
——
TREMENDOUS ARDOR REMINDS OLD RESIDENTS
OF LINCOLN’S CAMPAIGN.
—–
RED FLAGS FLYING
—–
People Greet Debs as Social Deliverer
-Huge Masses Pack Streets
-Capitalist Papers Break Silence Acknowledging
the Popularity of Socialism.
—–
[Continued.]
Wanhope on “Special.”
Joe Wanhope and W. H. Leffingwell of Wilshire’s Magazine came aboard at Buffalo, and the expert work of Wanhope livened up the speech making during the day. Leffingwell made the collection appeal and literature talks. Wanhope came on his own trip, as the state committee of New York made no arrangements whatever to have him aboard, as requested by the national organization.
Thomas J. Mooney, a union iron molder who joined the special at San Jose, has been selling literature ever since and has made a record. At every evening meeting he is in the hall early and makes a “literature talk” that increases interest in the books offered and increases sales. He hopes to attend the University of Chicago this winter to add to his equipment as a labor agitator on the soap box and by writing.
The Red Special..is an inspiration,
and the trait it leaves
will blaze with Socialism that
can never be extinguished.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday October 22, 1908
Eastern Tour of Red Special Met with “Tremendous Ardor”
From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:
ENTHUSIASM UNRIVALED
——
TREMENDOUS ARDOR REMINDS OLD RESIDENTS
OF LINCOLN’S CAMPAIGN.
—–
RED FLAGS FLYING
—–
People Greet Debs as Social Deliverer
-Huge Masses Pack Streets
-Capitalist Papers Break Silence Acknowledging
the Popularity of Socialism.
—–
The “Red Special” of the socialists arrived in Buffalo October 1 after a campaign in the west, which Eugene V. Debs, candidate for president, says marks an epoch in the history of socialism.
“The biggest passenger engine in the world that draws the three cars composing the “Red Special,” tooted at the state crossing as it left Pennsylvania and entered New York on a tour which before it ends on October 21, will have embraced the eastern and southern states and covered since August 31 more than 20,000 miles.
More than 3,000 people greeted Debs when he appeared in Convention hall. It was an orderly, thoughtful assemblage, and cheers lasting three minutes were finally hushed by the uplifted hand of the socialist standard bearer.
He began the eastern campaign apparently well nurtured by the 18-cent meals served on the “red special.” His dinner consisted of tomato soup, roast lamb, baked potatoes, raisin biscuit, cheese for desert and black coffee. Debs was happy when he returned to the special and smoked a big cigar, the only smoke he permits himself in 24 hours.
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T HAD been thirteen years since I bid farewell to the workers in Alabama and went forth to other fields to fight their bitter battles. I returned again in 1908 to see what they were doing for the welfare of their children. Governor Comer, being the chief star of the State, I went out to Avondale, on the out skirts of Birmingham, to take a glance at his slave pen. I found there some where between five and six hundred slaves. The governor, who in his generous nature could provide money for Jesus, reduced the wages of his slaves first 10 per cent, and then 16.
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