Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-02
DEBS' NEI sIIICAL PARTY.
The Famous SIZE Leader to Enter
the National Political Arena.

tA0 NouVudl IOllCdl AItld,
He Writes an Article,for a Chicago
Publication. Glvins some De-
tails Of His Schena b-Ths Ulti-
mate Purpose of the Utopian Or
ganizadan Now R5F ealed-The
Leader Takes the Pu, bic Into His
Conhdence-He Hopes to Make
the New Party a Power at the
Polls viii Embrace All Who
Are Opposed TO Present EconO-
mic Condisions-First Work VIII
DO Attempted in Milwaukee.
Chicago, Ills, August IA morning
paper says Eugene V. Debs is striving
to found a new political party.
His Social Democracy, instead Of be-
ing, as nearly everybody supposed, a
chimerical scheme, which had colCP-
ization for its central idea, is really
the organization Of the machinery Of
national party, which will represent
Debs' social and economic views. Debs
has been a member of the Populist
party. He was delegate TO its first
national convention held in Omaha in
1892. and a year ago at the st. Louis
convention he was pressed so hard to
accept the nomination of the party for
president that he felt constrained to
write a letter to Senator Allen asking
his friends 10 nominate Mr.. Bryan.
Events since then have, in Debs
opinion. wiped out the last yestige or
Populism, and he believes that the time
for launching another organization,
founded upon lines which viii appeal
to the masses of the people, and which
will supplant the POpulisJ party IN
township, city, State and nation, IS at
hand
The purpose Of the Social Democracy
has been Inexperienced until now
because Mr.. Debs did not choose 70
take the public into his confidence. I'M
patient, however. at the criticisms that
were passed upon his supposed plans,
the leader Of the great railroad strike
Of 1894 determined TO outline their pur-
pose and scope. He selected New
Time, a Chicago magazine. as the chan
mel through which to reach the public,
and has contributed 10 the August num-
Der Of that periodical a brief article in
which ne tersely sets forth the Ideas
that constitute the underlying princl-
pies Of the Social Democracy.
He makes. 1t clear that he has enter
ed upon an undertaking which Tor
magnitude has few parallels in the his
tory Of the nation. He is seemingly
confident OF the result of his plans,
and predicts that a new party will
spring up on the wreck of PopullSm
to menace the power Of the existing
dominant Republican and Democratic
parties.
Here is his own description Of the
Social Democracy and its aims taken
from New Time:
DEBS OUTLINES HIS PLANS.
The Social Democracy is a great So
cial. economic and political OrganiZa-
ton. 1t is at once national and inter-
national. Politically speaking. it = a
party within and for itself. and within
twelve months national represent
aiySs will have lprQulated( "a national
n. lgl1Hst the vari-
resentatives will have
atforms and the munic-
ives local platforms.
kanizatiOn is the local
are organized IN each
6ship. Five or more per-
eanize a branch. and the
is limited to 500.
branches have local or
Jurisdiction. From these
annually. in April repre-
Ito the State union. who meet
in May at the capital Of the
o prepare a platform, nominate
Iates and transact other business
ming to the State. These several
State unions elect representatives to the
national council and this body meets
annually in June to adopt national
platform. choose officers, nominate
candidates and transact other business
pertaining to the national organization.
The national council annually elects
an executive board Of five members,
which constitutes the executive depart
ment Of the organization.
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES.
The declaration Of principles is a
modification of the declaration of in
dependence-that is, it is brought up to
date and made to accord with Mr..
Debs' personal views of the needs of
the country and the people in IT, All
citizens are called upon TO unite under
the banner Of the Social Democracy of
America. so that they may be ready
10 conquer capitalism by making use
of their political liberty and by taking
possession Of public power, so that
they may put an end 10 the present
barbarous struggle. by the abolition of
capitalism, the restoration or the land.
and of all the means of production.
Transportation and distribution, to the
people as a collective bCdy-and the
Substitution of the cooperative COM
monwealth for the present state of
painless production, industrial war
and social disorder.
COLONIZATION SCHEME.
Mr.. -Debs wants it distinctly under
stood that the colonization scheme is
only a detail of his general plan and
has been assigned TO a special depart
ment known as the colonization de-
partment." Then he continues:
The purpose has been, and is, to
mass a sufficient number of our sup
porters in a State TO secure political
control. and then in another State,
and so on"
This is a trife vague, but Mr. Debs
admits that he pUrpOsely restricted his
discueeiOn Of The Social Democracy on