Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-09-03


reply to the courts you lie"
Mr.. Sovereign, of the knights of La
Dor, said:
Even IL congress did give us the rights
we want, the courts Of the country would
stu have the power of injunction and they
could then throttle US. The convention
should inform the world that If this mat
ter Is to be tested the miners should break
all injunctions." Mr.. Sovereign said he
was willing to go to Jail in support of his
idea. ut is time" said he, ITO bring the
miners and courts face to face in this mat
ter and force an issue. Fill up the jails
with violators of injunctions, and when
the men who started this movement are
incarcerated thousands of others will be
found to take their places (Cheers.) The
laboring people can vote for years, but
organize this government Let us stand
up and assert ourselves. Behind these in
functions stand Calling guns and Win
chesters, but we fear them not. Let us
hold up the flag and tear down the courts.
We stand on our dignity and will have
our liberty from this time on"
Dcbs Loudly Cheered.
The convention broke into wild cheer
ing, which developed In minute into
spontaneous call for Mr.. Debs, the ia
nous labor leader and avowed head of
the social democracy of this country,
who had not uttered a word since the
convention opened, but who had not
missed minute of its proceedings, rose
from his seat and came slowly to the
platform. When the cheering ceased
Mr.. Debs began speech, which was in
terrupted at the end of nearly every
sentence by cheering and hand-clap-
ping. He said:
Civil Liberty Dead.
II believe the gravity of the Industrial
situation In this country is well UNDER
stood. 1t Is quite evident the delegates
to the convention are cognizant of the fact
that civil liberty is dead in America. 1
have said. and say again, for the last
time. have appealed to the courts for JUS
tice. and shall appeal to them no more.
The A. r. U. expended $500 to have the
question of civil rights tested in the SUI
preme court of the United States, only
/ to be told that we have no rights that cap
ital was bound to respect. Shall we appeal
to the supreme court again? No. We
appeal to this convention and to the coun-
| try Tor an uprising OF all the common
people IN every walk Of life to beat back
the courts and reenthrone the rights of
the American people Labor day is near
!, What shall we do? I predict. my friends
that we will see the extraordinary spec
\
and dancing to the music. Labor is the
cheapest commodity on Gods earth, and
yet there are those who would have 1t at
lower price. Only the other day the
united voice of labor was raised against
the appointment of Mr.. Powderly to a
federal position. and notice that he was
promptly put into the place. mingled
cheers and hisses.l From justice of the
peace to Justice Of the supreme court of
the United States all the judicial powers
Of the United States are directed against
labor. All the organized sources of society
are against labor, and If labor expects to
emancipate itself labor itself must do It,"
II Predicts nm Uprising.
u Mr.. Debs continued, vehemently: 1.-The
time has not quite come to incite the popu-
lace. I serve notice on the plutocratic
element of this country that we are on
which will be attended by all branches of
labor. That convention will take up these
same questions and will institute agita-
ton and keep 1t going until the public
conscience and public heart are aroused.
Then Will come such an uprising as the
world mas never seen. Never in my life
have been more hopeful than now. am
not gifted with great visionary powers
but can see 1.-THE beginning Of the end
,(Cheers) This meeting is an Inspiration
1t will lead to great results. This move.
ment has attained tremendous impetus
people are ready, and that day is not far
of, my friends, there will be spontaneous
uprising; the supreme courts will be abol-
lshed, congress dispersed and the sacred
, rights Of American citizens and American
freedmen will be enthroned. Great ap
, plause) I plead guilty to the charge Of
: being radical. l only wish you woulc
e allow me to be more radical STILL Sup
port us. gentlemen of the convention, anl
> promise you we will support the at
tempt to abolish government by injunc
l ton and the judges who issue them.
Willing to Shed His Blood.
. Il hope in the march of common intelli.
gence we will reach point where we vii
be able to settle these questions without
appealing to the sword or bullet. 1 can
, not tell. Certain 1t Is there are thousand.
of our fellow citizens suffering, and GER
9 tain it is this cannot last The time will
a come to incite the populace. When thi.
time comes you can depend on me. vii
t not stand in the rear and ask you to gs
], ahead l will be in front and say to you
Come on. l shrink from that bloodshed,'
and Mr.. Debs paused impressively, "bu
II this is necessary to preserve liberty ant
: our rights-in that event l will shed the
last drop of blood that courses through m,
veins. [outbreak Of cheering.l
Q "Plutocracy cannot buy me; they may
send me to jail: may ostracize me, or MAJ
Q hang me; but, in the language of the revo
lutionary heroes, l do not propose to par
company with my self-respect, independ
ence and manhood. We no longer have
: republic; there Is not vestige of II left
o The judiciary of this country has PLACED
: paddock on my lips. forbidden me to wall
8 on public highways and destroyed all O
Q my rights. l submit because you compelle,
d me to- am helpless. / appeal to you an,
: to the country to come to the front. taxi
this cause to heart, and these question:
Q will then be solved. / Will be free. and 81
= will you.
0 1.-THE significance of this movement por
q tends new and important development
q along the line of battle. look forwar,
= % the time when the people will dethron
: The power that has enslaved them. TIL
: movement is marching grandly forward
Z md plutocracy will soon understand tina
g slavery and despotism have no rights to
. place on American soil"
wild Enthusiusm.
e AS Mr.. Debs finished the delegates ros
u 70 their feet. jumped in the air, thre,
i their hats in the air and crowded forwar
E 10 greet the speaker. Chairman Pomero
pounded vigorously for order, but ii wa
l. fully five minutes before the conventio
y recovered from the spell which Mr.. Deb
II ,ratory had cast about them.
One or two substitutes for the last plan
T. n the platform were introduced, but nc
y adopted, and after an hour or two Of tai
=. he last two planks were agreed to as sut
- nitted by the committee, and the platforr
% as whole was declared adopted. 1t W;
. then agreed that the basis of represent
!. ton at the Chicago convention should
~ one delegate for each local labor organic
~ ton and two from each congressional di
"a trict, every man to be a wage-worker
~ Mr.. Mahon, of Detroit. introduced re
- olution calling upon the miners now
ID work in Missouri. Iowa, Kansas, Kentucl
and other fields to quit work, and
nouncing them as enemies Of human II
IL erty SO long az they continued their pre-