The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-10-30
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
THE COMING CONTEST.
Have We Republfc?Ais It Merely
Shadow.
A STRONG LETTER FROM DEBS.

Some weeks since l promised through
a mutual friend to give my views upon
the political outlook to Mr. C. A. Lund-
berg, for the columns of the "Popu-
listen" Since then, have been SO busy
with large correspondence and have
been so fully occupied with other mat
tiers, that l have found it impossible to
respond sooner and even now l am
obliged to be brief as the exactions upon
my time are such that have not a
leisure moment at my command.
There are many issues before the
country in which reformers of all schools
have a profound interest but there is
one overshadowing question which ap-
peals to every patriotic citizen, and that
is, Have we Republic?" Those who
study current affairs and are honest
enough to give expression to their can
did opinions, do not hesitate to declare
that only the shadow of the Republic re-
mains, that of the free government
founded by Washington and Jefferson
wives to bear testimony that such gov
eminent ever existed.
Civil liberty and constitutional rights
have been eliminated from our govern
mental fabric. We once enjoyed the
right of trial by jury but this has been
abrogated. Under the new regime, that
OF the money power, a federal judge, who
is usually a corporation attorney, may
imprison citizen at will. Judge Ly-
man Trumbull, who is justly esteemed as
one of the greatest statesmen and most
eminent jurists this country has pro-
duced, in recent letter, used the fol-
lowing language: "The doctrine an
nounced by the Supreme Court in the
Debs case, carried to it's logical conclu-
sion, places every citizen at the mercy of
any prejudiced or malicious judge who
may think proper to imprison him.
These words are of grave import. They
are not uttered by crank or an anarch-.
list. They are the deliberate utterance
OF great and pure statesman, who has
through all his years Of public service
refused to be bribed or corrupted or 81
fenced by the Shylocks and monopolists
who rule the country. According to
Judge Trumbull, any judge can imprison
any citizen without a trial Then the
query suggests itself, what is the diff
ference between America and Russia?
The powers of the Car are absolute and
SO are the powers of an American fed
eral judge, who may at the behest of his
masters imprisOn men whose only crime
is that they dare to protest against the
wrongs and injustices perpetrated upon
Workingmen
The real issue is. shall the people,
the plain, common people in every walk
of life, or shall the Shylocks, foreign and
domestic, rule this country? This is the
question to be decided by the American
people in the coming elections. 1t is ad-
mitted that in this country every citizen
is sovereign and holds the ballot and
that a majority rule, and as the produ-
GERS are overwhelmingly in the majority,
there is no reason why they should not
vote themselves into power in every de-
partment of the government, and once
again give us government Of, by and for
the people AS it is now, the Plutocracy
are in control. They have invaded Cong
ress, they have debauched our courts,
they have silenced our pulpits they have
subsidized our press and with insolent
defiance they have Knocked at the degra-
dalton and woe of the common people,
| assert fact which no honest man will
attempt to controvert when I declare
that both the old parties, the Republican
party and the Democratic party are dom
mated absolutely by the money power
aud are equally debauched by it's vic
ious inf1Eence. To hope for reform
through either of these parties is the
climax of imbecility, and workingmen
who continue to vote for these parties
are doomed to slavery, nor are they fit
for anything better than masters lash.
For years the two old parties have been
specializing upon the ignorance and STU
pidity of wOrkingmen. In all their plat
forms they have prated about their love
for the horny handed sons of toll, while
at the same time they were in collision
with their enemies to rob and degrade
them. They love workingmen simply
for their votes and when these are cast,
they have no more use for them than if
they were SO many herds of wild asses
Will the working people of this country
arouse to the demands of the hour? Will
they open their eyes to the grave crisis
that confronts the country? Will they
have the courage, the patriotism and the
independence to strip themselves of old
party badges, which symbolic their SER
Witty and degradation? Will they come
out boldly under the banner of the Peo-
pies Party and vote to drive the de-
stroyers Of the Republic from power?
We are on the eve of the great contest
1t would be impossible to overestimate
the Importance of the outcome. 1t means
freedom or slavery-the survival Of the
Republic or the erection Of a despotism
upon it's ruins. Which shall it be?
EUGENE V. DEBS.
McHenry Co. Jail, Woodstock, Ills,