The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-05
WHY DEBS LEFT.
His Reasons for Supporting Bryan
and Leaving the Peoples Party.

Terre Haute Ind, Jan. Sin his let
ter in the Railway Times in which Eu
gene Debs announced his departure
from the Peoples Party to become
socialist, he says he supported Bryan
not because he believed free silver to
be a panacea for national ills, but be-
cause he believed the election of Bryan
would danish from the highways of
human endeavor many a black flag"
The free silver issue furnished a rail-
lying cry and common ground against
the trusts, syndicateS and corporations
and once united they could press for
ward against Industrial slavery That
he was right in this conclusion he
points to the CONSERVATION among the
.'shylockS and robbers which enabled
Mark Hanna to collect more than $16,-
900, 900 to prevent the election of Bry-
an
He says: Eighty per cent of the or
ganized wage earnerS voted for Bryan
That the result of the election was not
different was due to the fact that unor-
ganized labor Overwhelmingly Outnum-
bered those who were organized and
who had been educated and drilled in
the tactics of the enemy and would not
be coerced, intimidated or stampeded
from voting their own convictions. The
result of the election has convinced eV-
cry intelligent wage worker that in
politics, per Sc, there is no hope of
emancipation from the degrading curse
of wage slavery"
Mr.. Debs says that the defeat which
more than six millions of men sought
to avert proclaims that what is to be
called a defeat is to be a flaming SYM
Dol of victory, because all over the
broad land it served to arouse the mind
forces of millions of men. The ballot,
however much it has been eElOgized,
he declares has been beaten to the
earth by Doodle and could not be relied
upon to execute the will of the people
while they are in industrial bondage.
He believes there is a way out of this
Labyrinth, tortuous, binding and con-
fusing maze" He says the leaders of
the socialist army have thrown open
the door of hope to the tOiling masses.
Speaking for himself, he says he is
socialist. His sOcialistic convictions
have grown upon him as he has become
convinced that the competitive system
is utterly cannibalistic. Human beings
are set against one another, and the
heartless proceeding has to be done
in self defense. Under the regime of
private capital he declares property
has become sacred and human life has
been reduced to a valuelesS commodity.
1.-The producing many have been sub
jugated by degrees until millions work
by permission and millions of others
are tramping and starving to paupers'
graves
He holds that men have a right to
Work-the same inherent right to work
that they have to breathe. They have
a right to all they produce, and if any
part is taken from them without their
express consent, it is robbery. The is
sue is socialism VS.. capitalism. Money
constitutes no proper basis of civiliza
ton. He says that he is aware that
socialism is a term little understood.
when Analysed it means co-opera-
ton instead of competitions; collective
ownership of land, capital and all the
means of production Sand distribution.
It prOclaims the coming of the cooper
alive commonwealth to take the place
of wage slavery"
He confesses to no hope for the toll
| ing masses except by the pathway map
| ped out by socialists. To continue in
the old ruts. he says, is but to reach
ged, numbered and branded, the mana
| gers of trusts, syndicates and COM
| bines will at no distant day call the
roll of the white slaves.