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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 25, 1908
Lower East Side, New York City – Debs Speaks at Hamilton Fish Park
From the Montana News of of October 22, 1908:
LAND-SLIDE FOR SOCIALISM
—–NEW ENGLAND WORKERS GO WILD OVER DEBS.
—–EAST SIDE CROWDS
—–
One Hundred Policemen Required to Take Care
of the Vast Masses of People
-Debs Holding Out Well.
—–
The lower east side of New York saw the greatest demonstration in its history Tuesday afternoon [October 13th] when Eugene V. Debs, socialist candidate for president, visited it and gave his thousands of supporters an opportunity to express their devotion to him and his cause.
From Hamilton Fish park, where Mr. Debs first appeared and spoke, to Rutgers square, where he ended his visit, the automobile in which he rode was surrounded and followed by a crowd that packed the streets through which he traversed and lapped over into those adjoining until nothing but a surging, tumultuous mass of humanity could be seen.
At Rutgers square it required all of the skill and discipline of a large force of policemen to make way for the Debs automobile to the center of the square, where he was to speak. When the socialist leader at last reached the spot he turned and looked down upon the vast sea of faces that extended as far as the eye could reach.
And the enthusiasm was as unrestrained and heartfelt as the crowd itself was huge. It was impossible to have every one in that crowd hear what was said, either by Debs or any of the other speakers, but that didn’t seem to matter to the crowd, for they applauded and cheered anyway. They were there to show their regard for the greatest working class champion in America-and they showed it.
