The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-05-19
1T IS COMING
A ROUND MILLION WILL FALL INTO
LINE UNDER THE NEW BANNER,
And March Forward With Steady
Step Until the Republic Is a Land
of Free and Happy People.

In response to a telegxaphic request,
Eugene V. Debs wired the following ar
ticle to the New York Journal, and
since it's appearance it has been widely
copied and commented on: 1.-THE ap-
preaching special convention of the
Chicago, beginning the third Tuesday
in June, promises to be one of the most
Interesting and important convocations
of labor representatives held in recent
years. There is no doubt that radical
changes will be made, that the order
will be vastly broadened in it's scope and
that progressive and up-to-date policy
will be adopted. The members have
long since realized that the old methods
have been outgrown and that nothing
more can be accomplished on present
lines; and they have simply been wait
ing for the full effects of the great
strike of 1894 to make themselves felt
upon railroad employees, confident that
it would result in ripening them for
the great change which is now con-
templated.
ITO organize for another strike were
worse than folly. At present railroad
corporations have things their own way
the latter might as well have no organ
ization at all. If organizations are rec
ognized or considered at all, it is only
when they fully and unqualifiedly SUBJ
scribe to the terms made by the cor
porations. Under sucn arrangements
harmony prevails and the best of feel
ings exist between the companies and
their employees" In the meantime the
capacity of all machinery is being in
creased and more business is handled
with less and less men.
An army Of idle employees, the federal
and state soldiers and subservient fed
eral judiciary would perpetuate this
state of affairs Indefinitely Fortunate
ly, however, such object lessons are not
wholly in vain. Thousands of railway
employees and all other kinds of work
ingmen who have been the victims of
corporate supremacy, have been using
their brains, and as result they pro-
pose to adopt new tactics and by the
application of common sense methods
overcome the selfish, sordid gang who
have monopOliZed the country and the
fullness thereof, and place the people in
possession of their own.
How is this to be done? By uniting
the workers of the country in a grand
cooperative scheme in which they shall
work together in harmony in every
branch of industry, virtually being their
own employers and receiving the whole
product of their labor The country is
ripe for such a movement, and | believe
the coming convention of the American
Railway Union will launch it. 1t is to
be confined to no particular class of
labor, but all who toll are to be admit
ted without regard to nationality. sex.
color or previous condition of servitude.
The primary work will be largely edu-
cational. Every problem relating to our
social, economic, political and industrial
life will be examined. Lecturers and
organizers will take the field and enter
upon thorough canvass of every state
in the union. Some of the foremost
men in the reform movement will head
the crusade and it is foregone conclu-
sion that it will grow more RAPIDLY
than any organization that has ever
preceded it, and being founded in the
intelligence of the membership the
growth will be healthy and substantial,
and it will not be long until this move
ment will be one of the determining
factors in shaping the policy and des-
tiny of the republic. Industrial COON
Grafton as basis of higher type of
civilization will be the principal object.
1t is impossible to enter into detail so
lar in advance, but these will doubtless
adjust themselves at the proner timo
upon fundamental, bedrock PRINCIPLES
round million of us are agreed We
shall unite all our energies to DESTROY
the present capitalistic system and es.
tablish the cooperative commonwealth
Under the former, which is now in the
last stages of consumption, the coun-
try has been brought on the verge of
ruin, and humanity has been degraded
beyond the power of language to de-
scribe. To one whose sensibilities are
not wholly dead a mere contemplation
CT the horror of our social life is sicken-
Ing and shocking. The time has come
for social regeneration and this is onlv
possible through a new and Worldwide
change of system, and to inaugurate
that change will be the purpose of the
new movement to be launched soon in
the great metropolis of the West.
Soon after the work is under wav II is
proposed to begin active operations in
some western state The state will he
/ colonized by our people, the leaders will
canverge there full ticket will be NOM
mated and we will undoubtedly have
votes enough to secure complete control
of the state government We will then