Tag: Otto McFeely

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: 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: Eugene Debs Tours Nation on Red Special from Spokane to New Ulm, Minnesota, to Indianapolis

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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The Socialist Party is the political expression of
the socialist movement in the emancipation of
the working class from wage slavery.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 25, 1908
Long Cheers Welcome the Red Special in Spokane, Washington

On September 16th, the Red Special carried Socialist Party Presidential Candidate Eugene Debs into the city Spokane. By September 20th our indefatigable comrade was found in New Ulm, Minnesota. Debs is scheduled to speak at Tomlinson Hall in Indianapolis tonight.

From the Spokane Spokesman-Review of September 17, 1908:

Thousands Greet Debs in Spokane

EVD Socialist f Prez, Sx Fls SD Arg Ldr p6, Aug 6, 1908

Class conscious socialism had its inning in Spokane last night when 3,000 people turned out at the Great Northern depot to greet Eugene V. Debs, Socialist candidate for President, upon the arrival here of his “Red Special,” and later when 4,000 people paid 15 and 25 cents each admission and contributed $203 additional in voluntary collection to hear him deliver an address at the armory.

Both gatherings were comprised largely of men of the laboring classes. In both gatherings starched shirts were the rare exception and at the depot assembly many men appeared in working clothes minus their coats. The train, which was due to arrive at 3:30, was three hours late and the greater portion of the crowd remained at the depot throughout the entire interval in the excess of their zeal or their curiosity to see the man who is making his third Socialist race for the Presidency.

Long Cheering Welcomes Train.

Even after their long wait they were disappointed in their desire to see the candidate. They caught sight of the train as it pulled into the depot yards and gave vent to a cheer which lasted two or three minutes, but Mr. Debs, who had already delivered six speeches yesterday, had retired for a little sleep and his companions were reluctant to permit him to be disturbed.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: “Red Special on the Way” by Eugene V. Debs

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Hurrah for the Red Special
and the Social Revolution.
-Eugene V. Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 10, 1908
“Crimson Flyer Speeds Westward Bearing the Message of Socialism”

From the Appeal to Reason of September 5, 1908:

RED SPECIAL ON THE WAY
—–
Crimson Flyer Speeds Westward Bearing
the Message of Socialism.
—–

EVD, 1 Red Special Itinerary, AtR p2, Sept 5, 1908EVD, 2 Red Special Itinerary, AtR p2, Sept 5, 1908EVD, 3 Red Special Itinerary, AtR p2, Sept 5, 1908

CHICAGO, Aug. 31.-When the Red Special made its appearance at the Chicago depot, thousands of social revolutionists, gathered from all directions, cheered continuously. Even the representatives of the Chicago capitalist press were present with pencil and camera to picture the great train and its decorations.

People now seem to realize for the first time that the socialist party is not only in the field, but that it is an active and portentous factor in the campaign. Not only was the train viewed by thousands of interested spectators at Chicago, but it evoked exclamations of surprise all along its route.

At 9:30 this morning the flaming special leaves for the west with the state candidates of Illinois, representatives of the national office and other guests aboard. Never have the exponents of a great cause started forth under more favorable auspices or with greater confidence and determination to overcome all obstacles and reach their goal in triumph.

Hurrah for the Red Special and the Social Revolution.-Eugene V. Debs.

—–

Circulars from the office of the national secretary announce that arrangements have been made to carry several hundred passengers every day on the Red Special. Any person can get on the train at any stop and ride as far as he likes at the rate of 2 cents a mile. Meals on the train will cost fifty cents each. there will be no sleeping berth for these passengers, but a first-class day coach will be provided.

Indications are that workers will be getting on at every stop to ride to the next and thus get into touch with the train they sent out. every afternoon passengers will be carried from small stations to the city where an evening meeting is to be held. Debs and all the special train party and all their fellow workers who board the train for short trips will have their meals together and these gatherings are to be made gay affairs. The train will enable workers of one town to get acquainted with those of another and the gathering of so many men and women interested in Socialism is expected to be a great encouragement to those in small communities and to the speakers and candidate for president.

“Those who intend to join the special train” said Otto McFeely, correspondent for the Workers’ Press association “should give the names of their party to the local newspapers and also call the editor’s attention to other special events of the celebration in their town.”

The following is a schedule of the arrivals, departures and stops from the time the train leaves Denver, the sixth day out, until its return to Chicago, September 25.

———-

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