The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-24
SEATTLE. SUNDAY, NOV. ~.
DEBs AND HIS DOCTRINES.


Eugene V. Debs f. a free man. having
been released from the Woodstock Jail on
Friday last. His confinement IN some re-
spects has been a good thing for him.. in
others Il has not. During the time he has
been In custody he evidently has learned
something which will be OF value 10 HIM,
II no is to pose as the friend Of labor. lie
has much yet 10 learn, however. but
whether he succeeds In doing it is perhaps
questionable. considering tho frame OF mind
in which his recent u~tterances show him TO
be. Mr.. Debs now says that the day OF
strikes L. past. lie should have known this
long ago. Clothed as he was with almost
aut0cratic power. it was to be supposed
that human experience and common sense
would have told him that he should not
use his prerogatiyes recklessiy or abuse
the authority vested in him as head Of a
great labor organization. His judgment
was unreliable. however. and a fact which
he should have appreciated in the begin
ming. he recognized only when through his
odiet millions az dollars worth OF property
had been destroyed. numerous lives sacri-
feed. tho railroad business brought to n
%standsall. trade generally demoraIized and
he himself safely lodged behind prison bars
as a mischief maker.
The recent railroad strike was q great
piece OF folly. 1t was a case OF pure igno-
rance. and there vas no excuse for 81.
Had the workluEmen OF the country voted
on the question, there IS no doubt a
trouble SO widespread would have been
avoided. For all the disastrous results
which followed Debs is responsible. What
was done was under his orders orwHh his
approval 4 word from him n It would
never have happened. He should have
known that the outcome was certain % be
disastrous 20 him and tae organization he
represented. Probably he did. but he was
Intoxicated With the power lodged In
him. and as in all other instances where
one is suddenly elevated from obscur.,y 20
81 high position ~ authority. the advance
meat turned his head and no became re,k-
less. vicious a13 irresponsible. \ long and
lsmcn.able record 81 strikes on a large
scale should have taught. pebs that there
- invariably failure Tor the strikers and
she working Of great Injury 20 both parties.
II pchs had uot hetu tieklcd With high
place ana swollen wtth his own Importance.
De would have known what "a the COMMON
knowledge OF AL men wAo have been prom
ine1tly identified N-th railroad strikes. th8.
the strikes hayu missed their purpose acd
have generally cntalcd greater evils and
sanorings than those whlch they we're ex-
pected - cure. THis was Che fault or tho
president ~ the railway anton. History
taught hm notrsag. his ildsnen, was
bad. ara as "a loader ana advisor ne proy IS
himself TO he thoroughly unreliable.
Mr.. DeAs' observations in CAicagc IN Il
large puhG1 meeting 90 celebrate his re-
lease fcam imprisonment are interesting
as show Ia What his resent reaec;sons have
been and to What conclusions he has corne.
They are nos satisfactory. lie comes out
fun x Bitterness and evidently prepared
10 vase a crusade that s. certain - bring
unres, ana d~,-3er. lie SAYS taa high
purpcsAxf rs c-on<uau}atory Meeting was
= vindcauon 81 American principles pro
claimed "a The Declaration ~ Independence.
bas g; was nothing % gre sor,. Z Vas
merely svmuathc1s tribute % "a man Who
vas Ne~y properly is..ed for defy.rg the
UnEed states government aid Mo has
saocsse3ed ~ convincing some people BE
IS a martyr Those Mo congratulated
him believed tAey sd g, for a friend -
labor. forgetting tha; Pc has probably
brought uaou labor greater woe ana dts
tress ard beer the cause = more ac:1a,
loss 70 re coantry a. large tsan a=y o-se~
one mar.
He announced that he s.ooa besare ss
hearers stripped of his constitutional rgat
as "a free maa aaa sso-n oT as sacred pre-
negatives % .Asse1caa citizenship Wa,
g. ag 5hls hat TIE ak q a demaeo<ucs
Ne Is stripped q: no;hlus lie has az ,se
privileges - any c.aee e.zea. ao3 those
privileges vsA 20 respected SO hong ss D.
conducts himself as a sert citizen ahcalt
ss 70 longer He oaa coTe ans eo rs ae
ple4zes. As "a form az So.a =. sss4a-