Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: “Taft Is Elected; Bryan Defeated; Debs Victorious!”

Quote EVD re Political Scabbing, AtR p2, Oct 3, 1908
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday November 7, 1908
1908 Campaign Ends with Taft Elected and Debs Victorious

From the Appeal to Reason of November 7, 1908:

Debs Victorious

Taft Elected

Debs Re-visits Woodstock Jail

FROM THE RED SPECIAL
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Debs Re-visits Woodstock Jail in
Last Days of Long Journey
-Vote should Be at Least a Million.
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Madison, Wis., Oct. 30.-We are now on the homeward lap, and when this is read by the Appeal readers the “Red Special” will have passed into history. This morning our first stop out of Chicago was at Woodstock, Ill. On arrival there the “Red Special” crew, and the assembled citizens marched to the Woodstock jail headed by the the “Red Special” band. On arrival at the court house, Harry Parker, manager of the train, called the meeting to order and made a few happy introductory remarks. Comrade Debs then addressed the people, recalling the time when he came to Woodstock as a prisoner, the intense feeling that then prevailed against him and how that had changed until now the people were as friendly and sympathetic as they were then hostile and hateful.

He then proceeded to show how these changes came about and how the Socialist party was progressing in spite of all opposition. He said he might never reach the White house, but the fact that he returned to Woodstock as the candidate of the working class for president proved conclusively that in time justice takes her course; and that he felt himself compensated a thousand-fold in this consideration and regard of his fellow-workers for the trifling service he had been able to render them. The band then played the Marseillaise, after which the comrades, by invitation of the sheriff and ex-sheriff Eckert, who was sheriff at the time Comrade Debs served his sentence, visited the jail and one after the other entered the grated cell which had been occupied for six months by the now Socialist candidate for president.

We have just stopped at Janesville, where a magnificent meeting was held on the depot platform. The schools were dismissed to give the pupils a chance to attend the meeting, and hundreds of them passed through the Red Special in a steady stream, shaking hands with the candidate, many of them saying they were Socialists. These pupils, young as they were, listened intently to the words of the speakers.

This afternoon Debs, Mills and Brown, the latter Socialist candidate for governor, will speak at the University of Wisconsin, and it is expected that a large crowd will be in attendance.

This remarkable journey is now near its end. What its fruit will be to the movement no one can estimate. Many thousands have heard the call to Socialism who could never have been reached in any other possible way than this campaign.

The entire crew has been in perfect accord from the beginning, and the spirit of the train has been beautiful beyond words,. All were comrades and all ready at all times to serve. We shall surely never forget the comrades of the “Red Special” nor the many thousand comrades all over the country whose kindness and comradeship cheered us on our journey and made, us feel that every effort put forth to advance the Socialist movement is rewarded a thousandfold. If the vote is not at least a million this year there will be a strong suspicion on the part of the “Red Special” crew that there is something wrong.-Theodore Debs.

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[Drawings added from “Debs, His Life, Writings and Speeches.”]