Hellraisers Journal Sunday November 1, 1908
Cincinnati and Evansville Socialist Give Red Special a Red Welcome
From the Appeal to Reason of October 31, 1908:
FROM THE RED SPECIAL.
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Debs and Taft in Evansville Same Day, But Latter
Ignores Proposal of the Socialists
to Exchange Audiences.
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Special Telegram to the Appeal.
St. Louis, Oct. 23.-At Evansville last night there were rival political demonstrations between the republicans and the Socialists. Taft and Debs both arrived at about the same time, and the old town was hot with excitement.
From the Evansville Press October 22, 1908
The local committee of the Socialists proposed to the republican committee an exchange of audiences for twenty minutes by the republican and Socialist orators for educational purposes, thus giving each orator the opportunity to address both audiences. The invitation was respectfully or otherwise ignored. Thus is there another bluff called. The republicans and the democrats both put up the claim that their campaigns are educational, but when they are called by the Socialists, and given a chance to make good, they expose their dishonesty and false pretense by refusing to address Socialists meetings or allowing Socialists to address their meetings.
Taft did but little at Evansville other than to explain his labor record. It surely needs explaining, and he has been working on the job ever since his nomination. The Socialist candidate, in his speeches at Evansville, put Taft on the rack and showed what his true attitude toward labor is by recalling the trip he made to Idaho to support the infamous Gooding in the conspiracy to murder Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone.
[Exclaimed the speaker:]
George Pettibone lies in a martyrs grave tonight, hounded to his death by the corporal brigands who could not corrupt him; and Taft did his full share to murder him by inches, and it is not the fault of Taft that Haywood and Moyer are not also mouldering in their graves.
In the supreme hour, when all the forces of capital were arraigned against the working class in a foul conspiracy to destroy organized labor and murder its leader, Taft was on the side of the trusts and corporations and was applauded by all their papers for the stand he took against the working class and against the men who had most loyally served it. This forever determines Taft’s true attitude toward the workers of the United States, and no possible explanation will change it in the slightest degree.
As for Bryan, he was as mute as a statute. He did not dare to speak for the working class nor against the mine owners who had hatched the infamous conspiracy, for these murderous mine owners were among his personal friends and were contributing money to his campaign funds. Nothing further is needed to fix the stand of these two capitalist candidates with every intelligent working man in the nation.
We are speaking across Illinois, and today seventeen meetings are scheduled in the sucker state. And the crowds are large, and Socialists are well represented and furnish abundant enthusiasm.
The consideration shown at all the big meetings by the police has been a noticable feature at every point with the single exception of Philadelphia. At every other place our crowds were handled with the greatest care and circumspection, and in several cities the police were as kind and patient as if they had been our comrades, as indeed several of them were at several points.
The “Red Special” is now on its home stretch, it has been an unqualified success, however it may be considered, and will live in history as the chief actor in making memorable this very extraordinary campaign.
All the signs along the route are full of cheer, and we are all looking forward to a vote in November that will shake the nation.-Theordore Debs.
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Interest in the meetings held on the route of the Red Special has reached an intensity phenomenal. At nearly every point, with exception of several stops in the rural districts of Kentucky, the crowds and the enthusiasm have been enormous.
At Cincinnati, where three weeks ago Taft spoke to an audience that scarcely filled Music hall, the same hall was jammed to the limit with aisles closed and stage packed to hear Debs. Many were turned away by the authorities because the legal limit of the hall’s capacity had been reached.
The significance of this in Mr. Taft’s own town is the more remarkable when it is remembered that every seat at the Debs meeting was paid for. As a Cincinnati comrade says: “Do you workingmen think that you will lose your vote by casting it for Debs? You had better get in on the winning side by voting the straight Socialist ticket.[“]
The Cincinnati Post has the following to say of the monster meeting:
At Music Hall, Tuesday night [October 20th], Debs got an ovation that scared the politicians of both old line parties….
The Debs “Red” meeting was red all right from the time the “Red Special” reached Cincinnati until the “Red” leader retired to his berth in the “Red” special. There was red music of the Marseillaise style; women and children wearing red sashes marched in the parade; every telling blow at both old parties was greeted by cheers, accompanied by the waving of red handkerchiefs, and all around it was the biggest meeting of the followers of the red flag that ever gathered in Cincinnati. Music hall was filled with Debs adherents. The rear isles were crowded five deep. And each one the enthusiasts paid 10 cents to get in and, in addition, thousands contributed when the plate was passed around to help grease the wheels of the “Red Special” so that Debs might continue his trip over the country.
Now let me show you that Mr. Bryan is no more your friend than is Mr. Taft….When these brothers of ours [Haywood, Moyer, and Pettibone] were brutally kidnaped by the collusion of the capitalist governors of two states, every true friend of the working class cried out in protest. Did Mr. Bryan utter a word?…..
[President Roosevelt sent his Secretary of War, William Howard] Taft to Idaho to assure the smelter trust and warn the protesting people that the kidnaping of the workingmen was sanctioned by the White House and would have the support of the national administration….
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