The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-16
PoLITICs AND DEBS, Or DEBs
AND PoLITICA

Eugene ". Deb., Who gained soms
nosoriesy in the late great strike, says that
he was offered by an Eastern lecture
buTesu 500 night to lecture throughout
the different states Of the Union- He de-
ciares that he refused the catering offer.
but viii not decline . nomination for the
govsrnorship Of Indiana
Debs' friends should catch him In his
Eight, and induce him to reconsider his
discrimination not 20 accept the offer OF
the lecture bureau. There are two veighty
reasons Why he should do this:
First-Two hundred dollars . night for
800 nights would yield him 10000 year.
We say 800 nights because We do not wish
TO offend him by suggesting that he would
not be in demand 80 many nights in the
year. Nov. 10000 is big sum to make
in q year with no capital other than ones
brains. /. Is more than the president gets
for managing the affairs Of the nation. IL
Is the income on nearly s.. 600. 600 invested
In United States bonds. The salary of the
governor Of Indiana Is nothing compared
10 it. The honor also that goes with a
successful lecturer IL greater than that
which attends governors Office. Besides,
IL Is work which we think would be en-
tirely congenial to Debs. as he would be
continually before the gaze Of sdmiring
muititudss--ths observed. in short, of all
observers
second-Debs has no more chance TO be
governor Of Indiana than Puget sound
Indian Of becoming member of the In
stiiute Of France. The Popuiists. to whom
Debs belongs. will not elect the next gov-
ernor Of Indiana They have no more
show in Indiana than they have In the
state of Washington But, even If they
had q chance in that state, Debs Is the last
OF all men that could carry his party TO
victory. The laboring men would not
support him. Could he expect the labor
Ing men whom he eontemptuously dubbed
''scabs." the 'dregs Of the EARTH" etc., to
vote for him for governorf Could he hope
20 get the votes of the dupes who. at his
bidding. gave up good Jobs and are now
seeking In vain for re-smploymentf A
little fame has turned Debs' head.
To be plain. Debs should stay out of
politics. He has led one army to defeat,
aud he should not seek to lead another.
He Is q fash light, aud can not be de-
pended upon when steadiness and con-
stency are the elements Of victory. Men
who shoot into fame like q rocket invaria-
bly, shoot out again. The Popaiists have
had too many leaders of that kind
already.
Debs has been thoroughly measured and
been found wanting. For the sake OF a
little personal not6riety he has led great
labor organization 70 disaster. II he had
consulted the real interests of the work
ingman. instead OF his own. he would not
have drawn them into a strike in such
times a. these. In times Of falling mar
ket. when hundreds of factories are closed
and thousands of workmen are idle, il is
fooIhardy TO strike. and Debs should have
known It. He is not showing his wis
dom in declining a $50. 900 salary in order
20 lead g hopeless gubernational cam
paign.
The party to which the laboring man
should belong Is not the Populist party.
for IL has no chance of helping him. IL
is not the Democratic. for IL will not.
The legislation Of this party has always
been against the workingman. The pres.
snt tariff legislation of this party is merely
In the spirit of It's enmlty to labor. II
cannot be otherwise. The South, which
dominates the party now As Ii did in ante
eeilsn days. holds labor in contempt. 1t
snsiayed II before the war and II Expresses
It now. The party TO which the working
man should give his adherence il most
naturally the Republican party. The in
tersst OF labor has been woven into the
web OF that party. and the history of the
party Is the history in this country of the
Advancement IN the dignity of labor. In
that party. however. Debs and the like
cannot be leaders