The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-02

ana appreciative audience, among
whom were several members of the
legislature, and a great many ladies'
at the Lyceum last evening. The
lower part Of the house was we'll filled
and there was a good representation
in the gallery.
Debs is an agitator. He declares
himself one and glories in the title.
But contrary to well defined opinion, he
is not one Of those who believe in re-
sorting to violence to attain an object.
lie disclaims any intention of the sort,
and declares that rejuvenation of our
economic system will be brought about
by ballots and not by bullets. He
deprecates rash action and ignorant
effort and urges calmness and intelli-
gent study.
Contrary to general opinion Debs
does not believe in the crumbling Of
the fabric of the republic. On the other
hand he asserts that in the east he
sees the first faint lights of the dawn
ing of a better day.
lie opposes many things, which he
deSlgnateS as evils, among them being
monopolies and corporate greed, which
are the abnormal fruits of our economic
system, child labor and capital punish
ment He believes in and advocates
industrial cooperation, the replacing
OF present conditions with new, and III
equal suffrage 20 women.
Hebs would not change all this with
the torch of arson and the hand gren-
ade of anarchy. On the contrary he
declares that when the American peo-
pie understand the subjects as he does
the result of personal Investigation
they will think as he does and vote
accordingly.
AS a speaker Debs is a pleasing sue
cess. His delivery is fluent his eX-
hi evil
His gestures, few though they are, are
appropriate and graceful. His SMILES
art apt and his language well chosen.
he does not rant and he captured his
audience last night in his hour-and-a-
half address,.
1t appeared that he and Boyce were
a little tardy last evening; perhaps
they were not, but it looked that way.
The audience became impatient and
applauded, stamped its feet and made
other demonstrations. The professor
left the box office and came in and
played the piano. When he ceased the
people applauded and the professor
played some more. AS he finished his
second bit of Wagner, r. @. Sleater
came on the stage and took a seat and
the audience applauded him. Colonel
w 5. Wills next put in an appear
ance and he was given a generous |
share of noise. Then Senators Whit /
aker and Harbour came in with At
torney Murphy and some more hand |
clapping was done. Boyce created a |
sensation but Debs-ah, when Debs
flashed his spectacles behind the foot
lights then the applause grew into /
genuine demonstration.
BOYCE INTRODUCED.
Sleater called the meeting to order
and introduced Boyce in just as few
words as the task demanded. He
ffidr'f waste q SVIla HE ROUpn isn't
an orator by any means. He isn't long
=winded, either, although this is by no
means intended as a back-handed fling
at the speaker of the evening.
Boyce confined his remarks to the
Jeadville strike, which, he said, was
no fault Of the men. Some mines there
were paying. SO and some $3.50 per day
The operator of the S3-per-day mine !
said if the others did not raise to his
level he would cut to theirs. The
miners asked for a raise and didn't
get it. The strike ensued and the SO
men went out in sympathy.
The miners offered to arbitrate and
were aided by the governor, who
sought to bring about a settlement
but the operators refused. The men
cut their demand to so per cent, and
still failure ensued. There is the story ]
in a nutshell.
Mr.. Boyce closed by declaring the
objects of the federation, and then
Sleater, in the same brief way, intro
duced Debs.
DEBS' ADDRESS. !,
Debs didn't make any of those
wordy introductions which express so /
much ard mean so little. On the con- I
trary, he just waded into his subject
He began by saying that what was /
by the labor question was '
very much misunderstood. Many ex-
cellent employers of labor are opposed {
to labor unions. some believing them v
absolutely dangerous. While taking f
the position that many employers are V
just and generous to those who work a
fer them, it is a fact that in past ages.
if history be correct, labor has been, !
as it is now, prosecuted, plundered e
and oppressed. 1t is this treatment f
which forces it to combine. Were la I
Dor treated as it should be, there a
would not be a labor union in exist c
ence. a
There were times when the emGloyer b
was an individual; but those days are e
past. The employer of today is the
a thing which has no RI
soul, no conscience, no ears, simply Ii
IN appetite QaugbteD, and the more 81
you feed it the more it grows. Oaugh-
er). In the old days employer and N
employee worked side by side. and %
he grievance of one was the grievance Il
If the other; but in the march of the h
labor has been degraded a
lntil now, in this evening of the W
nineteenth century, thousands of h
American citizens are begging for m
)read- The speaker cited the statistics NJ
# 1890, which showed 3.S0O,OOO men pt
md women out of work. That was a II
prosperous year as compared with this. C
md the army must have greatly in W
reased, till it has now become so c.
arge as to menace the safety and h;
,eace of the country. I'll
The labor question is the question HI
f humanity. It is one which must be al
ettled, and will be settled sooner or in
alter. There are those who oppose m
abor organizations. True. some of hi
hem have made mistakes; they have Nj
t times acted rashly and committed 70
cts which were grave mistakes. but tn
Tho among men is free from error? ge
The speaker cited some history bu
'wenty years ago the coal miners of DR.
We're happy and prosper- no
US. enjoying good wages, clothing te
heir families and educating their of
hildres That was the day of the pr
operator. Then the com
ination came, and wages were re- Il
uced. Riots followed. and then came oh
he foreign pauper labor which Rus
anized that grand commonwealth. re
Tow men work for 65 cents per dav trl
nd live in novels and dens unfit
be the homes of beasts. ~ an
D not ask you to take my pc
atements.' said Debs, although