The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-21
Governor of Washington We'll
comes the Debs COIOnists.
DR.. RainsfOrd, the New York
MilliOnaires' Pastor,
ENDORSES DEBS' PLAN.
Much Enthusiasm Worked Up
Over the UtOpian Idea.
ROseate Views of the Projectors
of the New Socialism.

New York, June 21-In a dispatch to
paper here, Gov. Rogers of Washing
ton welcomes the Debs colony to that
state.
He does not fear such immigrants
as he is confident utterly destitute per
sons will not be among them. DR..
Rainsford, the Episcopal minister of
this city. who created considerable com
ment by criticising the Bradley Martin
ball, has telegraphed congratulations to
Mr.. Debs.
He said it was evident that the union
men of the west were better educated
than those of the east, and added that
they would not trust their leaders here
Mr.. Debs discussed MS plans at great
length with a special correspondent of
a New York paper sent to Chicago to
interview him.
Il have assurances of 1O, 900 persons
that they will join in our common
wealth." said he. I'VE have not decided
where we will locate. Ex-Gov Waite
IS IN Texas loking at land for US, and
we nave been invited to Washington.
We are being deluged with letters of
graduation
Wealthy women have offered their
services in aiding his cause. he said
and poor ones, too. One of the latter is
Mrs. L. MOseley of 31315 Broadway
East St. Louis. She has written ask
ing permission to join the colony with
her children.
AS the matter stands today" said
Mr.. Debs, there is nothing ahead of US
but disorder and violence, unless we
can provide a safety valve by colonial
ton for those who have grown hopeless
and desperate in the losing struggle
of life"
To the suggestion that cooperative
socialism was opposed to the competi-
tive principle for which Jefferson had
fought Mr.. Debs said:
There was a chance for Individual
competition in his day, but the inven-
ton of labor saving machinery and the
organization of trusts have filed the
country with hundreds of thousands of
idle and homeless men.
Labor strikes are useless I have
had experience enough to know that.
They are simply force against force,
and the trusts and corporations are able
to beat the men in the end Unless
something is done at once to restore the
social, economic and industrial balance
there will be widespread disorder and
armed resistance. Men and women
will not Starve in a land of plenty.
The social democracy of America is try
ing to find the peaceful solution. We
are not making war on millionaires, we
are simply trying to build up the peO-
pie"
Macaulay's prediction of a revolution
and the overthrow of this government
was commented upon, aid Debs declar-
ed thoughtful men, who love men better
than money, must recognize that our
present system is a complete failure.
I'VE propose TO avert a struggle by
taking the helpless and desperate vic
tins of cruel system away from all
temptation to commit acts of violence.
We propose to give up labor strikes and
use only the ballot. We propose to eX-
tend our colonies into the state we go
to until we get control of its govern
ment. Then we will admit a new con-
stitution, organizing the people into a
cO-Opera tive commonwealth.
eve ask the American people who
sympathize with us to send regular
contributions. We expect to get at
least $25, 900 a month Within two
three months we will send an advance
guard of the pioneers into our new ter
ritOry to prepare the way. Our idea is
to work systematically and not to place
a confused multitude suddenly in an
undevelOped country.
I'VE shall build houses, real houses,
to live in, not lairs or kennels. By next
| summer we shall have a great commu-
nifty well esta ablIshed."
Mr.. Debs agreed with the correspond
ent, that Havemeyer, Rockefeller. J.
Pierpont Morgan and his like is more
powerful before congress than the pres
| ident, and that they could not only
force congress to pass a bill, but make
| the president sign it
But" he was asked: "Iow are you
to curtail their power and wealth.?
He answered. Their wealth will be
gradually absorbed into the common
| ownership of products. We offer them
glorious nelQ Tor tnelr energy anu
genius. Mr. Rockefeller Mr.. Carnegie
and Mr. Vanderbilt could direct their
! energies for the peoples good and or
| ganize great industries. Neither could
| today under existing conditions, sud
| denly give up his wealth without
wrecking the fortunes of thousands of
men, women, widows and orphans,
| whose interests are linked with his. Men
like these would lay down the awful
| burden fastened upon them by their
wealth. and with free hearts and brains
| win the esteem of the whole human
race.
What does great wealth do for a man?
Look at the fate of Barney Barnato! He
fell a victim to system which was
crushing thousands of poor men out of
existence It is a system of gOrg1ng
one and famishing the other with the
dr7ea (7fuI penalty for bOth-One driven to
insanity and suicide, and the other to
starvation and crime. Our rich men
| are living abnormal and unhappy lives,
and so are our poor men. The burden
of the present system is too great for
both.
mo, we are not making war on the
rich. Our Commonwealth will relieve
the millionaire as well as the involunta-
ry tramp. The extremes are coming
close tog ther. Times are getting hard
er and harder. There is no sign of
relief anywhere for the starving and
| desperate multitudes.
Go to ShebOygan and Kalamazoo
and you will find people working for so
cents a day. There you will see little
girls with fingers missing, feeding ma
hinery Co to Cottondale. There young
with a right of retiring to the toilet
rooms not more than once a day, and