Tag: Republican Party

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

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

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

EVD EVD Debs Victorious detail, AtR p1, Nov 7, 1908 Victorious

Taft Elected

EVD Debs Victorious, AtR p1, Nov 7, 1908

Debs Re-visits Woodstock Jail

FROM THE RED SPECIAL
—–
Debs Re-visits Woodstock Jail in
Last Days of Long Journey
-Vote should Be at Least a Million.
—–

EVD Debs Release Woodstock, Debs Life p194, AtR Pub 1908

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.

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Hellraisers Journal: Red Special in Evansville and Cincinnati, Thousands March, Wave Red Flags, Sing Marseillaise

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD Movements of Undesirables, AtR p4, Oct 31, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
—–
Debs and Taft in Evansville Same Day, But Latter
Ignores Proposal of the Socialists
to Exchange Audiences.
—–

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.

EVD Red Special Evansville IN, EvPrs p1, Oct 22, 1908
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.

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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: From Appeal to Reason: Red Special Returns Via Northern Route: Spokane to Hancock, Michigan

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

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 6, 1908
The Red Special on the Northern Route Across the Plains

EVD SP Ticket Debs n Hanford, AtR p3, Oct 3, 1908

The Socialist Red Special carried the Debs Campaign across the plains from Spokane, homeward,  via the northern route, arriving in Chicago on morning of September 25th, and, without so much as one full day of rest, headed out again to begin the eastern tour that same morning. The Chicago Tribune of September 26th reported that the Socialist Party’s candidate for President made 187 speeches and traveled 9,000 miles during the Campaign’s western tour.

From the Appeal to Reason of October 3, 1908:

BACK BY THE NORTH
—–
Red Special Re-crosses the Rockies and
Sweeps Across the States Toward
Michigan on Return Trip.
—–

With the finish of the Red Special’s
western trip at Chicago, Sept. 25, it will
leave immediately through Indiana and Ohio
for a tour of the east.
—–

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: The Red Special Rolls on from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Salt Lake City

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD re Red Special, AtR p2, Sept 19, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 26, 1908
The Socialist Red Special Rolls On Across the Great Plains

Eugene V Debs, EVD, Girard Prs p8, May 21, 1908

The journey of the Red Special across the American Great Plains is well documented in the following article from the Appeal to Reason. An inspiring message from Comrade Debs describes the thousands of cheering supporters who greeted the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate in Colorado. As an added bonus, in this same edition of the Appeal, we find Comrade Haywood speaking in Enid, Oklahoma, and preparing for a tour of the great state of Kansas.

From the Appeal to Reason of September 19, 1908:

EVD Red Special, On To Coast, AtR p2, Sept 19, 1908

—–

From Debs.

DEAR APPEAL: The meeting at Denver last night can’t be described. The great Coliseum was packed and jammed and the surrounding streets filled with cheering, shouting Socialists. The scene can never be forgotten. Thousands could not get near the speakers. Have just left Colorado Springs, where we had a splendid meeting, notwithstanding the crowd, through a misunderstanding, was at the wrong depot. Five minutes after arrival at any station the “Red Special” has a crowd. We are thoroughly organized and take full advantage of every minute. We are ready to drop off at a minute’s notice and make a speech of half a minute to a hundred people, or two hours to twenty thousand people.

We are now up in the mountains and from far up the rock-ribbed sides of the Rockies can be seen the fluttering handkerchiefs of the Socialist miners and prospectors and their wives from the cabin doors and windows. It is great, thrilling, inspiring.

Marvelous transformation! The miracle is working out all around us and before our very eyes, and the Socialists seem to spring from the soil to join in the exultation. These grand old mountains all about us are smiling their benediction upon us and the green-plumed pines along our iron highway seem to sway in gladness and join in the applause.-E. V. DEBS.

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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 Ohio Socialist: Editorial from The Messenger: “Negroes Organizing in the Socialist Party”

Janet RayeA. Philip Randolph
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Nothing counts but pressure, pressure, more pressure,
and still more pressure through broad,
organized, aggressive mass action.
-A. Philip Randolph
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 28, 1918
New York City – Socialist Locals Organized Across Race Divide

From The Ohio Socialist of August 21, 1918:

-The following article is reprinted from The Messenger:

Negroes Organizing in
Socialist Party

A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen, Messenger, Nov 1917
Editors of The Messenger

The new negro is awakening. After having been the political Rip Van Winkle of America for fifty years, sleeping in the cesspools of Republican reaction, he has at last opened his eyes. In New York city, in the very heart of the negro settlement, there has been organized the Twenty-first Assembly District Socialist Branch, which includes all white and colored Socialists in the district. The branch has grown to about one hundred members in two weeks, all of whom are dues paying and in good standing.

The new negro leaders are pointing out the Republican party as the worst fraud under which negroes have been laboring.The Democratic party is openly against the negro. The Republican party is ever striking him a blow in the back. Either one or the other of those parties has been in power for the last fifty years, the Republicans the greater part of the time. The Jim Crowism, segregation, lynching, defranchisement and discrimination are as much the work of the Republican as the Democratic party. Jim Crowism railroads was upheld in a decision by Charles E. Hughes. Lynch laws thrived under McKinley, Roosevelt and Taft. The Grandfather disfranchisement laws were passed under the guardianship of the Republican party. The Summer Civil Rights bill was declared unconstitutional by the Republican Supreme Court.

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Hellraisers Journal: Debs Speaks at Kansas State Federation of Labor Convention on Labor Unity and Victory

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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To serve the working class is to me
always a duty of love.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 16, 1908
Eugene Debs Speaks to Delegates at Labor Gathering

Eugene Debs, Socialist Party candidate for President, was invited to speak at the State F. of L. convention. He arrived at the convention from Girard where he had been resting after touring through the eastern states.

Pittsburg, Kansas, August 12, 1908
Kansas State Federation of Labor Convention:

I EVD spks KS FofLC, Ptt Dly Hdl p1, Aug 12, 1908II EVD spks KS FofLC, Ptt Dly Hdl p1, Aug 12, 1908

Introduction by Chairman Cable

Gentlemen of the Convention: I assure you it is a great privilege on my part to present to you at this time a gentleman who needs no introduction at my hands; a gentleman who is known to you and who is known to the workingmen throughout the length and breadth of this country as a true and tried trade unionist and the candidate of the Socialist party for President of the United States. I, therefore, take great pleasure in presenting to you Brother Eugene V. Debs.

—–

[Debs Speaks]

Mr. Chairman, Delegates and Fellow Workers: It is with pleasure, I assure you, that I embrace this opportunity to exchange greetings with you in the councils of labor. I have prepared no formal address, nor is any necessary at this time. You have met here as the representatives of organized labor and if I can do anything to assist you in the work you have been delegated to do I shall render that assistance with great pleasure.

To serve the working class is to me always a duty of love. Thirty-three years ago I first became a member of a trade union. I can remember quite well under what difficulties meetings were held and with what contempt organized labor was treated at that time. There has been a decided change. The small and insignificant trade union has expanded to the proportions of a great national organization. The few hundreds now number millions and organized labor has become a recognized factor in the economics and politics of the nation.

There has been a great evolution during that time and while the power of the organized workers has increased there has been an industrial development which makes that power more necessary than ever before in all the history of the working class movement.

This is an age of organization. The small employer of a quarter of a century ago has practically disappeared. The workingman of today is confronted by the great corporation which has its ironclad rules and regulations, and if they don’t suit he can quit.

In the presence of this great power, workingmen are compelled to organize or be ground to atoms. They have organized. They have the numbers. They have had some bitter experience. They have suffered beyond the power of language to describe, but they have not yet developed their latent power to a degree that they can cope successfully with the great power that exploits and oppresses them. Upon this question of organization, my brothers, you and I may differ widely, but as we are reasonable men, we can discuss these differences candidly until we find common ground upon which we can stand side by side in the true spirit of solidarity–and work together for the emancipation of our class.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Messenger: “Negroes Organizing in Socialist Party”- Republican Party, Worst Sort of Fraud

Janet RayeA. Philip Randolph
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Nothing counts but pressure, pressure, more pressure,
and still more pressure through broad,
organized, aggressive mass action.
-A. Philip Randolph
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 9, 1918
New York, New York – Randolph and Owen Recommend Socialist Party

From The Messenger of July 1918:

The editors of The Messenger decry the Republican and Democratic Parties as they give enthusiastic support to the Socialist Party of America.

A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen, Messenger, Nov 1917

—–

NEGROES ORGANIZING IN SOCIALIST PARTY

The new Negro is awakening. After having been the political Rip Van winkle of America for fifty years, sleeping in the cesspools of Republican reaction, he has at last opened his eyes. In New York City, in the very heart of the Negro settlement, there has been organized the Twenty-first Assembly District Socialist Branch which includes all white and colored Socialists in the district. The branch has grown to about one hundred members in two weeks, all of whom are dues paying and in good standing.

The new Negro leaders are pointing out the Republican party as the worst fraud under which Negroes have been laboring. The Democratic party is openly against the negro. The Republican party is ever striking him a blow in the the back. Either one or the other of those parties has been in power for the last fifty years, the Republicans the greater part of the time. The Jim Crowism, segregation, lynching, disfranchisement and discrimination are as much the work of the Republican as the Democratic party. Jim Crowism railroads was upheld in a decision by Chas. E. Hughes. Lynch laws thrived under McKinley, Roosevelt and Taft. The Grandfather disfranchisement laws were passed under the guardianship of the Republican party. The Sumner Civil Rights bill was declared unconstitutional by the Republican Supreme Court.

Lastly the Republican party is the party of plutocracy, of wealth, of monopoly, of trusts, of big business. But the Negroes-99 per cent of them-are working people. They have nothing in common with big business and their employers. They ought to belong to the workers’ party. And that is the Socialist party. The object of the employer is to get the greatest amount of work from the laborer and to give the least amount of pay. The object of the laborer is to get the greatest amount of pay for the least amount of work. In a word, the interests of the employer and the employee are opposed.

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Hellraisers Journal: Ben Hanford on the Republican Party, Bill Taft, and the Unemployed: “Go and Eat Grass!”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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The unemployed were clubbed by the police
under republican Mayor Busse in Chicago
and under democratic Mayor McClellan in New York.
-Ben Hanford, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 28, 1908
Chicago, Illinois – Republican Party to Unemployed: “Go and eat grass!”

From the Socialist Montana News of June 25, 1908:

Ben Hanford and Republicans
—–

“GO AND EAT GRASS” IS ADVICE.
—–
Socialist Candidate for Vice President
Scores Hypocrisy and Vulgarity
of Wall Street’s Recent Convention.
—–

SPA, Ben Hanford, VP Candidate, AtR p4, May 23, 1908

“Go and Eat Grass!”

“If the people have no bread, why don’t they eat cake?”

So says the national convention of the republican party to the more than five million unemployed men in the United States. What sweet consolation to them and the twenty millions of people dependent on them.

We are a prosperous people, declared the leaders of the convention.

We have wealth to the value of $110,000,000,000, more than one quarter of all the wealth on earth.

We make more than one-third of the world’s modern manufactured products.

The republican convention was opened each day with prayer, and by a different clergyman—but there is no evidence that it was closed with a benediction.

The delegates considered themselves “the people”, and therefore they could truly say “the people” were prosperous. It was a convention of lawyers, office holders and millionaires. Why shouldn’t Senator Burrows be prosperous? For thirty-nine years he has drawn pay from a city, county, state or national treasury. Why shouldn’t Senator Lodge be prosperous? He graduated from Harvard Law School thirty-three years ago, and has been fed at the public crib for twenty-five of the years since past. These worthies fear lest socialism would “have the nation own the people.”

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