The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-11-06
DEBS ON POLITICS.
He Advocates the New Peoples
Party.
SAYS MEN HAVE LONG BEEN
DECEIVED.
With Lincoln, He Believes all the
People Can Not Be Deceived
All the Time.
Eugene V. Debs in Chicago Press

States and all the people have the ballot,
all are, or ought to be, as the phrase goes,
''in politics." Indeed, if they exercise
the divine right to rule" which is done
by the fiat of the ballot, they are lin
politics." If they do not vote and there
by abdicate their sovereignty, they may
be said to be "out of politics" and aliens
in their native land.
Now, then, let us inquire, What is poll
tics? Webster defines the term, and he
will be accepted as standard authority.
quote the unabridged" definitions in
full:
Il. Politics is the science of govern
ment; that part of ethics which has to
do with the regulation and government
of a nation or state, the preservation of
it's safety, peace, and prosperity, the de-
Tense of it's existence and
RIGHTS AGAINST FOREIGN CON
troll
Or conquest, the augmentation Of it's
strength and resources and the protec-
ton of it's citizens in their rights with
the preservation and Improvement OF
their morals.
~. The management of political
party the conduct and contests of parties
with reference to political measures in
the administration of public affairs, the
advancement of candidates to office.
%. In bad sense artful or dishonest
management to secure the success of pol
itical candidates or parties.
a. Political trickery.'
In the foregoing we have Webster's
definitions of politics. as practiced in
the United States. l am particular in
giving these definitions because | have
reasons for believing that the masses of
people were never before so profoundly
interested in politics as at present.
Hitherto men have voted with the
parties with which they were affiliated,
right or wrong. They were Democrats or
they were Republicans without reason
why. They marched, they shouted, and
voted for the supremacy of their party,
accepted professions as honest which
proved to be false, and platforms which
were made to be disregarded, to find out
at last that they had been the
VICTIMS OF THE VILEST DUPLICI-
TIES
That were ever concOcted of politics Gin
a bad sense" of political trickery"
their allegiance to the two odd parties,
for, in sooth, they must vote for one or
the other because there was no other
party with which they could affiliate.
1t was the sage remark of Abraham
Lincoln that You can deceive all the
people all the time. but you cannot de-
ceive all of the people all of the time
No one doubts that Abraham Lincoln
had the ability to write political maXims,
and subjected to analysis, his proverbs
are found to be absolutely true. For in
stance 4. You can deceive all the peo-
pie some of the time"
Inevitably. If there'are but two parties
and both of them are political lin bad
sense" "artful and dishonest" what
matters it for which party a man casts
his vote? He is the victim of deception
in either case, and that is just what has
been the matter during the past quarter
OF century
THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED
All the time. They have been jumping
from the frying pan--deceived every time
and all the time.
2. You may deceive some of the peo-
pie all the time.
In politics the statement is absolutely
incontrovertible. We see it illustrated on
every hand and at every election. We
see men welded to their party idols and
worshiping them with pagan dolatry
eyes, like the potato. they cannot see;
They will not be undeceived. They have
eyes, but, like the potato, they cannot
see; they have ears, but, like the corn
stalks, they cannot hear; Or, if they do
see and hear, then they are SO debauched
by the influence of politics in bad
sense" by political trickery," that no
facts, no arguments, no logic, and no
calamites can influence them. and they
have to be let alone.
% You cannot deceive all the people
all the time
In saying that Mr.. Lincoln rose to the
sublime heights of a mental philosopher.
He stated truth of universal accept
ance, truth that is the last hope of hui
mainly. But
TO UNDECEIVE THE PEOPLE.
To get their consent to renounce error
and embrace the truth, requires time.
labor, and sacrifice, interchangeable effort.
In politics, If men see clearly that the
parties with which they have been affil-
lated are forever wrong and that by de-
sorting one and joining the other affords
no relief, that the principles and poll
cies of both are alike vicious the first
sign that you cannot deceive all the
people all the time will be demand
for new party, party pledged to the
reform of abuses and the emancipation
of the people from "politics in a bad
sense" from political trickery," a party
pledged to the enactment of wise and
just laws. and an honest, clean admins
tration of such laws.
The two old parties. the Democratic
and Republican parties, have been re-
peatedly condemned by the American
people, but, as has been remarked
NO RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE CAME
From such condemnation because in
abandoning one and flying to the other
the victories thus achieved, instead of
affording relief Of and hence the demand
for another party to which men. deter
mined to be deceived no longer. men of
courage and conviction and possessing
the power of self manipulation. could go
and work out the political redemption
of the country.
The new party that has come and has
come to stay is the Peoples Party. It
has come because you ""cannot deceive
all the people all the time" It has come
in obedience to the honest patriotic
thought of the nation.
If there were those who believed that
the Peoples Party would vault into
power like a tabled Minerva. full-grown
and ready armed to beat back the enc
mics OF honest government, they should
remember that the present is not an age
of miracles nor of mythology. Political
parties are of slow growth, but if thew
are the champions of the truth then not