The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-01
PRICE CENTS HAErEAy s EHEs Ege 5s 2g

Court again! NO. we appear 10 lHlS COA-
vention and to the country for an uprising
of all the common people in every walk OF
life to beat back the courts and re-enthrone
the rights of the American people. Labor
day is near What shall we do? l predict
my friends. that we will see the eNtraord1-
nary spectacle of enslaved labor rattling
its chains and dancing to the music LABOR
is the cheapest commodity on God s eartn
and yet there are those who would nave IL
at a lower price. Only the other day the
united voice of labor was raised against the
appointment of Mr.. Powderly to federal
position, and notice that he was prompt
ly put into the place. (Mingled cheers ana
hsses) From justice of the peace TO JUS
tice of the Supreme Court of the United
States, all the judicial powers of the United
States are directed against labor. All the
organized forces of society are against Ia
Dor, and if labor expects emancipation IT.
self labor itself must do it,
| Mr.. Debs then told the convention that
much restitution existed among the miners
of the once proud State of Indiana. and
workers and their families were starving.
He read the report of the commission APP
pointed by Governor Mount to examine into
the condition of the miners of Indiana, and
then took up the thread Of his argument.
THE time has not quite come to incite the
populace" said Mr. Debs, shaking his INST
vehemently. 81 serve notice on the pluto
cratic element of this country that we are
on the eve of another meeting in chicago.
which will be attended by al branches OF
labor That convention will take UP these
same questions and viii institute agitation
and keep IT 9ing nrt are tha rdsed Then
will come such an uprising as the world mas
never seen.
SAYS HE rs A SOCIALIST.
at did not come to this convention to ex-
plot Social Democracy or any other move
ment There is something greater in this
movement than any one element can man
age-the emancipation of labor. There is
no division here. Each man is entitled to
his opinion and his right to express it; each
man to his duty as becomes that man.
am side by side with you. 1 am a trades
unionist and a Socialist. tremendous
cheering) Whenever the trades unions of
this country decide to do battle with our
common enemy they can count upon us to
come to the front and take our places side
| by side with them and fight with them.
Never in my life have 1 been more hope
full than now. l am not gifted with great
visionary powers, but I can see the begin
ming of the end. (Cheers.l This meeting is
an inspiration. 1t will lead to great results.
| This movement has attained tremendous
impetus and will so ahead with rush.
When the people are ready and that day
is not far off, my friends, there will be a
| spontaneous uprising, the Supreme Courts
will be abolished Congress dispersed and
the sacred rights of American citizens and
American freedmen will be enthroned.
! (Great applause)
Il plead guilty to the charge of being rad
Zeal. / only wish you would allow me to
be more radical still. Support us, gentlemen
of the convention, and l promise you we
will support the attempt to abolish govern
ment by injunction and the judges who
issue them.
ION bearing arms: hope in the march
of common intelligence we will reach
point where we will he able to settle these
questions without appealing TO the sword
or bullet. / cannot tell. Certain 1t is, there
are thousands of our fellow-citizens suffer-
ing and certain 1t is this cannot last. The
time will come to incite the populace. When
this time comes you can depend on me.
(Cheers) I will not stand in the rear and
ask you to go ahead / will be i'm front
and say to you, Come on (Renewed cheer
Il shrink from that bloodshed." and Mr..
Debs paused. impressively, but If this is
necessary to preserve liberty and our rights
in that event l will shed the last drop
OF blood that courses through my veins.
Outbreak of cheering)
"Plutocracy cannot buy me; they may
send me to JAIL may ostracize me, or hang
me, but, In the language of the revolu-
tionary heroes, / do not propose to part
company with N.Y. selszrespe t,,-independ-
ence and manhood
we no longer have a republic: there is
this country has placed paddock on my
lips, forbidden me to walk on public high
init because you compelled me to. 1 am
helpless / appeal to you and to the coun-
f try be 70 come nd to the frGn take this
solved. l will be free and so will you.
RIPE FOR A GREAT CHANGE"
''The people are ripe for a great change
All they lack is direction and leadership
Let this conference supply it. Let this
conference set the pace. Announce to the
world that it will temporarily adjourn for
three weeks to renew preparations. Let
every man pledge himself to be there
Come if you have to walk; no man has a
right to plead poverty
Mr.. Debs went over the conditions exist
ing in Pennsylvania, and, when he finished
| 4. ~
Virginia, he said, had more government to
the square inch than any State in the Union
and that meant less liberty. The less
government the more liberty-the only per-
feet government was no government at all.
In conclusion Mr.. Debs said: my
friends, assert yourselves; enforce your
cause. Let every man who can be as good
as his word stand erect" Nearly every
delegate in the convention rose to his feet
and cheered the speaker. He went on:
THE significance of this movement por-
tends and important developments
along the line Of battle: l look forward to
the time when the people will dethrone the
power that has enslaved them. The move
ment is marching grandly forward and
plutocracy will soon understand that slav-
cry and deSpotism have no rights TO place
on American SOIL.
AS Mr. Debs finished the delegates rose
to their feet, jumped on the chairs. threw
their hats in the air and crowded forward
to greet the speaker: Chairman Pomeroy
pounded vigorously for order, but it was
fulIv five minutes before the convention
recovered from the spell which Mr.. Dehs
oratory had cast about them.
One or two substitutes for the last two
planks in the platform We're introduced
but not adopted and the chair recognized
Patrick Dolan, of Pittsburg, who said the
injunction business was a gigantic bluff
He said he had been going against them
for two months and here he was expressing
himself. He thought it unnecessary to talk
about the matter.
Then there were more amendments and
substitutes, none of which was adopted
| ~, hon ar yrrn n Ia q n cf
two planks were agreed to as submitted
by the committee and the platform as
whole was declared adopted. It was then
agreed that the basis of representation at
the Chicago convention should be one dele
gate to each local labor organization and
two from each congressional district. every
man to be a wage worker The chair then
appointed Messrs MahOn. Debs. Sovereign,
Donnely and O'Connell a committee to ar
range for the Chicago convention and in
formed the convention that any money in
tended as contributions for the striking
of the United Mine Workers. at Columbus,
Ohio.
Mr. Mahon, of Detroit introduced a reso-
luton calling upon the miners now at work
in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and
other fields to quit work. and denouncing
as they continued their present course.
Notwithstanding the convention early in
the morning had declined to act on Presi-
dent Ratchford' 5 resolution requesting Presi-
dent Mckinley to convene Congress for the
purpose of defining the authority Of judges
TO that effect but requesting the chairman
Of the convention to ask President McKin-
ley to act in that direction, introduced by
w. ID. Ryan, the Illinois organizer. went