Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-02-11
DEBS AT TOPEKA.
HAMILTON HALL CROWDED TO LISTEN
TO THE AGITATOR.
He EnlargeS on the Beauties of Socialism.

There is a striking similarity in appearance
between Debs and the late Bill Nye. The
facial resemblance is marked. Mr. Debs has
very small amount of hair. Nye had none
In expression and human sympathy Debs re
semblcs the late Eugene Field. He is tall, in
clined to the angular, shoulders slingtly round
ed. His keen blue eye takes in everything al
glance and he looks one squarely in the eye
in conversation. Mr. Debs wears spectactes.
The lines upon his face and those of his mouth
indicate a strung determination and earnestness.
He dresses plainly but neatly, wearing black
chcviot suit with cutaway coat
Mr. Clemens introduced Mr. Debs.
Mr. Debs. advanced and was greeted with
much applause. He read from the State Jour
nal of January 27th, the interview of Judge P.
S. Gosscup of Chicago, in which he called
Debs malcontent and an agitator. Mr.. Debs
paid his respects to Judge Gosscup in phrases
similar to,those in his afternoon interview in
the State Journal.
Mr.. Debs then took up the theme of his adj
Dress which was directed against the existing
industrial conditions He said "There are
iii this country to-day millions of people who
are the victims of mans inhumanty to man.
The man who works the hardest and longest
hours has the least 70 show for it. The man
who works the least and is less useful has the
most Human beings are being reduced to a
commodity. -Four millions of men are out of
employment to-day. Millions of othere are
living by permission-that is to say they are
working for such pittance as the corporations
see fit to give them. This state of affairs in
dicates that something is wrong. 1t appears to
every courageous man. Yet every man who
speakes the truth is regarded as disturber of
the peace; agitator,
'Social garbage is poured upon his head and
he becomes macontent because he chooses to
work for the interests of men oppressed by cor
porate power. This is because there are too
many cowards among us. All men are more OF
less guilty of this charge, They endure the
expressions without audible complaint Min
listers indulge in platitudes and advise the work
ngmen to be law-aCiding, yet they never ad-
wise their oppressors to follow such course,
"When was boy, tramps were curiosity.
Now we do not have to go to a museum to see
one. They fill every highway, searching for
employment. They are compelled to do so;
displaced without any cause they thrown
upon the world to seek employment which can
not be found. People hate tramps, but the man
who is by virtue of necessity turned into a
tramp has my whole sympathy. | do not des-
pise him because if existing conditions last
long enough am liable to become a tramp my
self.
"The middle class is in process of destruc-
tlon, In 1896 of 100000 firms engaged in
business, 534 were closed up. In 1890
there were 2,o4o suicides. In 1896 there were
6,5ao--a threefold increase in six years. In
1896 there were 1o,562 murders; in 1890, a.
AGO. This abnormal development of crime is
the result of abnormal conditions. The work
ing man seeks employment. Instead he finds
despair, from which he escapes through the
hack-door of suicide. The small business man
cannot compete with the trusts and he is forced
to the wall, and in his desperation takes his life
Men out of employment are forced to become
tramps first, criminals next, and then a menace
to society. In Chicago there are SO, 900 unem-
ployed men, victims of present conditions
Statistics show us that one out of every 37S
persons is insane; one of every ISL of our pop