Category: Eugene Victor Debs

Hellraisers Journal: Red Special Carries Debs Campaign to Harper’s Ferry; “Tears and Cheers” for Soul of John Brown

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD on John Brown, AtR, 11-23-1907

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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:

John Brown in Engine House Oct 18, 1859, from Leslies Nov 5, 1859

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.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs: the Socialist Party Stands for “Emancipation of Labor All Over the World”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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EVD Quote, SP Appeal, NY Independent, Oct 15, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

EVD, NY Independent p876, Oct 15, 1908

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.

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Hellraisers Journal: Socialist in St. Louis: Debs Speaks to 6000 Inside Armory While Mother Jones Speaks to 4000 Outside

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Pettibone was hounded to his death by Taft.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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:

EVD re Taft n Pettibone, St L P-D p1, Oct 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.

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Hellraisers Journal: Thousands of New Yorkers Demonstrate Support for Debs at Mass Meeting on Lower East Side

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD, NYC Lower East Side Oct 13, MTNs p 1, Oct 22, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
—–

EVD, NYC Hamilton Fish Park Oct 13, Brk Dly Egl p21, Oct 14, 1908

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.

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Hellraisers Journal: “Red Flags, Red Language and Red Enthusiasm” Greet Eugene Debs at Faneuil Hall, Boston

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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We’re not here to reform
the capitalist class,
but to wipe it out.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
—–

EVD Red Special Crew, Cover ISR Oct 1908

—–

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.

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Hellraisers Journal: Joseph Wanhope, Socialist Candidate for Governor of New York, Boards the Red Special at Buffalo

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD re Political Scabbing, AtR p2, Oct 3, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.”

SPA Joseph Wanhope for NY Governor, Wilshire's 446, Sept 1908

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.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: “Red Flags Flying” Debs Met in Buffalo with “Enthusiasm Unrivaled”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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The Red Special..is an inspiration,
and the trait it leaves
will blaze with Socialism that
can never be extinguished.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
—–

EVD w J Wanhop n G Wilshire, Wilshires Mag p7, Oct 1908

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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Hellraisers Journal: Theodore Debs from Aboard the Red Special: “Tumultuous Enthusiasm” in New York City

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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The tumultuous enthusiasm of men, women and children,
and the waving of thousands of red pennants
created a scene that was simply indescribable.
-Theodore Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 21, 1908
New York and Boston Greet Red Special with Sea of Red Flags

From the Appeal to Reason of October 17, 1908:

FROM THE RED SPECIAL.
—–
Immense Meetings in New York and in Boston
Cause Even the Plutocratic Press
to Take Note of Socialism.
—–

Special Telegram to the Appeal.

EVD Said by Debs 1, AtR p4, Oct 17, 1908EVD Said by Debs 2, AtR p4, Oct 17, 1908

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Oct. 9.-The events of the past week were the New York and Boston meetings. No man could possibly describe them and no one who was present will ever forget them. The great Hippodrome in New York, which covers a block, the largest theater in the world, the stage which alone seats as many people as an ordinary opera house was crowded to the uttermost part of the last gallery and the demonstration which took place there last Sunday afternoon staggered the senses. It was as if the Atlantic ocean had turned red and all its billows were being tossed skyward in showers of spray.

The tumultuous enthusiasm of men, women and children, and the waving of thousands of red pennants created a scene that was simply indescribable. In addition to the Hippodrome meeting an over-flow was held in the American theater, one of the largest in New York City, and this was also packed and overflowing. A dozen more theaters could have been packed in the same way. Ten days before the Hippodrome meeting every ticket had been sold and on the day of the meeting tickets were selling on the curb at five dollars apiece. The New York Times said it was the greatest political meeting ever held in the history of the city.

All the New York Papers were filled with accounts of it and Wall street is still gravely discussing its significance. The meeting in Boston was held in and around old Faneuil hall and the old Temple of Liberty was rocked to its foundation. At New Haven last night, the home of Yale college, there was a demonstration and meeting that will never be forgotten. The students were out in full force and participated in a tremendous street parade in which men, women and children carried their red flags and joined in the cheering procession which swept along through the main streets of the city.

One noticeable change is in the tone of the capitalist press. All the big papers at every point are publishing columns and columns of the fairest kind. The New York World set the pace, the staff correspondent of the World has been on the train for ten days and will probably follow it to its destination, and every issue of the World has an extended report of the day’s doings on the “Red Special.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs and the Children of Girard; Some Thoughts on Childhood, “A Holy Theme”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD Childhood, Socialist Woman p12, Sept 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 20, 1908
Eugene V. Debs: “Childhood! What a holy theme!”

The story, published in yesterday’s Hellraisers, about Comrade Debs bringing the Red Special to a halt in order to meet with the school children of Trenton, Michigan, brought to mind the following article from the September 1908 edition of The Socialist Woman:

—–

CHILDHOOD.
—–

EUGENE V. DEBS.

What emotion the recollection of childhood inspires, and how priceless its treasured memories in our advancing and declining years!

Laughing eyes and curly hair, little brown hands and bare feet, innocent and carefree, trusting and loving, tender and pure, what an elevating and satisfying influence these little gods have upon our maturer years!

Childhood! What a holy theme! Flowers they are, with souls in them, and if on this earth man has a sacred charge, a solemn obligation, it is to these buds and blossoms of humanity.

Yet how many of them are prematurely plucked, fade and die and are trampled in the mire. Many millions of them have been snatched from the cradle and stolen from their play to be fed to the forces that turn a workingman’s blood into a capitalist’s gold, and many millions of others have been crushed and perverted into filth for the slums and food for the pottersfield.

Childhood is at the parting of the ways which lead to success or failure, honor or disgrace, life or death. Society is, or ought to be, profoundly concerned in the nature of the environment that is to mold the character and determine the career of its children, and any remissness in such duty is rebuked by the most painful of penalties and these are inflicted with increasing severity upon the people of the United States.

Childhood is the most precious charge of the family and the community, but our capitalist civilization sacrifices it ruthlessly to gratify its brutal lust for pelf and power, and the march of its conquest is stained with the blood of infants and paved with the puny bones of children.

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Hellraisers Journal: “The Red Special Goes East” -School Children Come Through the Rain to Meet with Comrade Debs

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD re SPA aims re Child Labor, AtR p4, Oct 10, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 19, 1908
The Red Special Heads East, Debs Speaks to School Children

From the Appeal to Reason of October 10, 1908:

RED SPECIAL GOES EAST.
—–
Speech to Young Americans at Trenton, Ohio,
That was Not on the Program,
but Enjoyed by All.
—–

Special Telegram to Appeal to Reason.

EVD Said by Debs I, AtR p4, Oct 10, 1908EVD Said by Debs II, AtR p4, Oct 10, 1908

Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 2.-The eastern trip of the “Red Special” has begun in dead earnest. As if to mark the change, the weather man has dumped us precipitately from the broiling heat of mid-summer to the freezing cold of mid-winter. This has had its effect upon some of the meetings as it is entirely too cold for outdoor assemblies and this doubtless keeps many people away. But still the crowds are large and the enthusiasm remarkable.

At Dunkirk, where the trust locomotive works are located, a large number of employes took advantage of the noon meeting and heard and applauded the speakers. When Roosevelt was at Dunkirk he was invited to the locomotive works, which were shut down so that the thousands of wage slaves could be impressed with the beauties of capitalism by one of its big chiefs. One enthusiastic worker who had voted the republican ticket all his life, announced yesterday that he had had enough and was now a Socialist, and was cheered by the crowd. A remarkable feature of all the meetings is the loud demonstration that is made when Roosevelt is stripped naked and shown up as a cheap politician, hypocrite and corruptionist.

When the Alton deal is laid bare Roosevelt’s connection with it established and the Appeal’s five thousand dollar offer is added, there is the liveliest kind of cheering as evidence that the people are at last awakening to the fact that instead of a bold and brave man being in the white house, the executive chair is being held down by the lowest type of a demagogue and rat-hole politician.

The New York meeting will shake up Gotham like an earthquake. Fifty thousand people are expected at the east side demonstration.-Theordore Debs.

—–

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