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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday June 4, 1899
Comrade Debs Has Successful Tour of Texas for S. D. P. of A.
From the Social Democratic Herald of June 3, 1899:
Texas is Coming
[by Eugene V. Debs]
Houston, Texas
[May 21, 1899]
Beginning at Nashville on the 10th of May, this trip has been fruitful of results beyond all expectations. Nearly every meeting has been crowded and in some places many were turned away. Farmers have come in from 30 and 40 miles distant.
At Nashville the Socialist Club voted unanimously to join the Social Democratic Party. At Memphis, I am satisfied the Independent Socialist Society will follow suit. William Pinard, the national organizer of the Barbers’ Union and one of the most progressive trade unionists, will join at Memphis and enter our list of organizers.
At Little Rock a branch is organizing. At Dallas, Fort Worth, Bonham, Cleburne, Waco, San Antonio, and Houston, branches will soon be in active operation.
I have some good news for our comrades from Texas. I feel warranted in saying that the Socialist Party of Texas will soon be in the Social Democratic Party. At Bonham I had a conference with William E. Farmer, the veteran editor of The Social Economist and president of the party. He is heartily with us. At San Antonio I had an extended conference with the Executive Board of the Socialist Party of Texas. We canvassed the situation thoroughly. They unanimously resolved to issue an address to the party, recommending that their locals attach themselves to the Social Democratic Party. A referendum vote is now being taken. I do not have the least doubt that all the locals in the state will come to us in a body.
A committee of the Houston Section S. L. P. [Socialist Labor Party] has just called on me and we had a most pleasant interview. They are true comrades and I was happy to meet them. I assume the responsibility to predict that it will not be long before the comrades who compose this section will be in our party. Let the good work proceed.
The outlook everywhere is immensely cheering. My heart leaps with anticipation for the future. It is coming. The triumph is near. Onward comrades!
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[Photograph and emphasis added.]
