The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-22
EUGENE DEBS'S NEW UNION
The Well.KnOwn Railroad Man Outlines
the Purpose of the Organization.
he Will Do Away with Useless Red Tape and
Extravaganza. aud Bring AL Railroad Men
Into One Harmonious Society.

NEW YORK, May 2l.-Eugene v. Debs OF
Terre Hau.e. Ind. has been in New York
several days consulting friends and old
time associates concerning the details OF
the organization OF the American Railway
Union. new labor order. Mr.. Debs was
secretary and treasurer of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen for a dozen years.
but, although unanimously reelected last
fail resigned. In an interview Mr. Debs
says that although there are in the United
States from 100000 to 1,o00.00o railroad en-
ployes. not more than 1901 are members
of organizations. Mr.. Debs gave as the
reason for the small membership
in the various orders now in
existence that their machinery was
too cumbersome and altogether
too expensive. There was also. he said.
too much one man power In the present or
ganIzation. Mr.. Debs added that II was
proposed to gather all branches of railroad
employees into the new order. and that its
expenses world be reduced to the minimum.
There would be no initiation fee. and az
few officers possible. The ORGANIZATION
Will not be secret, oath bound society,""
but each member will be bound by his SIM
pie word. Continuing. Mr.. Debs said:
Two shall reduce expenses by consolida.
ton In the matter of halls or meeting
places. We shall establish o daily news
paper In the interest of railway employees,
and also n monthly magazine. Our daily
newspaper Will be published in Chicago.
The capital Is ready In plenty. and the
plans are about completed lt will not be
large newspaper. but it will be large enough
to contain not only the news of the labor
world and the railroad world IN particular.
but ell the essential telegraphic news of
the day well. We shall furnish this pa
Der at the cost of production. our object in
publishing it not being profit in any sense
except 10 the men who support II. and We
believe they will profit by the possession of
such newspaper. We shall not run espe-
cially to editorials. but shall make news
our chief feature. though. of course. We
shall discuss questions of general interest
The magazine Will be run on the same lines
as far price Is concerned, as the daily,
bat necessarily it will not be SO much
medium for the distribution of news. The
the magazine will be put out at the
lowest possible figure. Another feature
of the educational department Will be
the monthly meetings. which will
to large extent it not altogether, take
the place of the ordinary weekly lodge
meetings. To these meetings all members
OF the order in the town whore they are
held will DO invited, and they will be adj
dressed by the heads of tho districts on
such subjects as are of vital interest TO
ings will stimulate the thought of the rail
road men greatly.
"a meeting for tho perfection of Amer.
lean Unions organization will be held In
Chicago June 20. and the plans. SONAR as
they have been deoided, may be roughly
outlined as follows:
The entire country will be divided into
districts. of which there will be twelve.
From Chicago twelve organizers ono fox
each district, VIII be sent out and they
Cenfar n
hrst. district Headquarters or capitals,
and. after this il done. headquar
tiers for subdivisions. The b0unda-
Iies of the divisions have not yet
boon fixed. The subdivisions will be
subordinate. of course. to the dretrict cap.
ltals. and each subordinate organization
will be entitled TO delegates In proportion
to it's membership. say ono TO every two
hundred. There will be no yearly State
conventions nor grand conventions-these
cost from $4,000 to S60000-but there will
be quedreDnIal convention of the entire
order. and sixty days before the holding of
quadrennial convention the lodges or
UNIONS will elect delegates, who will meet
at the district capitals and choose dele
gates to the Qusdrennial convention. Each
district will be entitled 10 delegates in pro.
portion TO it's membership. It "a proposed
that the 0uadrennial convention shall do
its work IN day. or at most two days, and
that it's business shall be mainly the cleo
ton of q board of directors of say twenty
or thirty practical railroad men. To this
board of directors will De intrusted the
business OF the order.
1--WE propose to make this an organization
OF rugged workinGmeD. We shall study
economy. We shall include every branch
OF rsilrosd employment from the lowest to
the highest. and without doing away with
special organizations We shall strive TO
bring all under one common fold. The first
Quadrennial convention of the American
Railway Union will be held next fall"