The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-13
DEBS HAS A CROWD
Garfield Hall Filled to Hear a
Presidential Candidate Speak
ON POLITICAL ISSUES
talks of Other Parties but
Forgets Socialism.

II ever the Garfield hall was crowded
1t was packed last night by people who
turned out TO hear the candidate for
". Debs. While the hall was crowded,
Debs could have filled the the Auditor
FUN, and owing to mistake in regard to
khe. place Of speaking, many were dis
}appoInted and went to their homes not
knowing that the man was at the Gar
field hall.
People were surprised at the appear
ance Of Debs. He is a nice appearing
man. He has a good countenance. He
is bald headed and, as one man said last
night, reminds one of Bill -Nye, only he
is better looking After all that one
could say about Eugene V. Debs he has
an attractive personality. It did not
make any great difference to his audi
ence last night the premises on which
he builds his arguments, he has the pow
er to hold the audience. Every person
present last night stayed in the hall IN
til Debs concluded his speech. His Ian
guage in the main was interesting, he
wrapped both parties. He paid no par
ticular attention as to where his blows
landed and when they did land a cheer
went up from his audience, whether it
was Republican, Democrat, Populist or
not
There was one noticeable thing how
ever and that was the fact that Debs
did not get off on one of his dreams re-
garding the ideas of Socialism. People
expected that he would and that was
what they wanted to know about. In
this respect his audience was disappoint-
ed, but in spite Of the fact people We're
interested whenever he mentioned any
thing regarding the principles which he
represents
One Of the principal arguments was
that of private versus collective owner
ship of property and TO draw out his ar
guments he dwelt on the tools used and
the wages paid for labor.
Perhaps no character which has been
in Wichita for long period of time has
interested Wichita people as much as did
Debs They had heard about him, read
of him, talked about him, but as far as
Debs himself was concerned, Wichita
people did not get a chance to see him
until last night.
The meeting was in charge of DR.. w
L. Rose and the introduction Of the presi-
idential candidate was by him. AS Debs
came to the front of the stage he look
! ed over his audience, smiled to himself
as though pleased at its size and then
started in on his speech. He said in
part:
Tn the contest today there are three
Glasses of society The first class is
that of the dominant capitalists, which
IS represented by the Republican party.
The second is the middle class whose
claims are championed by the Democrat
&c party. The third class is that Of the
working men, whose rights are properly
stood for by the Socialists. Each class
has its interests committed to the party
that represents it.
1.-The difference between the Repubn-
can and Democratic parties Is the differ
ence between the larger and the smaller
capitalist. The growth of the country
and the expansion of industry gives the
larger capitalists opportunity to dispose
of their surplus products. The middle
class has no surplus to dispose of, hence
it is against expansion.
ton in this country Not only has it
been here but It has taken place in ev-
cry country. Fifty years ago the neces-
sites of life were produced by the hand
of the workmen. They had their print
tive tools and made everything that was
consumed. These tools were under the
control Of the workmen. They were in
dependent A few dollars invested in
1oA. bal Of
support. It was easy in those days to
make a living. A boy learned a trade
and followed that as a business indie
pendent Of every one else.
''The tool of production was the syn
onym OF independence. A man worked
fer himself. was master Of his products,
and supplied his own wants. There was
an Incentive for him to lahor-he had
future 10 look forward to then but all is
changed now.
I'm thoso DAYS ths-a was no such thing
as a millionaire neither were there
tramps. The work of production was
done by hand. hence every man could
provide for himself because he could
easily own the tools Of production.
at is true that was slow age. 1t
took eighteen hours of labor per day
to earn & living, out lheFe WAS 4liue-
pendence there. No mechanic could take
an unfair advantage of another. Every
one was on an equal footing
But the. primitive tools were touched
BY the wand of invention and became
the complicated machinery of this age.
Now everything is produced by machine,
which has taken the place Of the laborer
of hft- years ago,
'"Workingmea have for this reason
looked upon the machine as an enemy
They have made a mistake. Il has been
the same mistake that the middle class
Of today is making by proposing TO de-
stroy the trusts. The trusts today are
the modern too4s Of production.
1.-THE very machine that was designed
N rs'ieve the laborering man has, in
The hands Of covetous men. become the
instrument Of DEGRADATION. The ma
chimes are oil right but they are owned
and controlled by the capitalists. Under
our system Of competition less men are
en,nlaved. which throws thousands out
of work with families to support.
..There is a struggle for mastery in the
-r,-td If commerce. The smaller estab-
s,sh-,erts are absorbed by the larger.
5.,. shons have become the great fac
tories.
.sThe small merchandise Establishments