The labor world., 1900-01-27
UP TO UNCLE. HENRY
JOHN Fl. OrPEIsNAN CHALLENGES
MAYOR 30 JOINT DEBiTE.

Socialists are After Tr. V"u~Iscri TO
Definite ISSUES OF Campaign fsut
IcuMion Nominee. Although V,nni-
imsS to Dcb.tte Ni-. Hugo. Has 80
Relish ?nr Attacks ExUected From
Socialists and 3efuH~" 20 Sccept.
Mayor Truelsen is now in the attl-
tude of man that issues challefl&eS
for Joint debates but does not accept
CHALLENGES himself Mr. Hugo and Mr..
Truelsen were both challenged by John
r. ODperman, the Socialist candidate
for mayor. to meet him in joint de-
bate Mr.. Hugo declined to enter into
q debate with Mr.. ODperman and few
days later Mr. Hugo received a chal-
lenge from the Democratic city COM.
mittee on behalf Of Mayor Truclsen to
engage in q joint debate on the issues
of the campaign. Mr.. Hugo, through
the Republican committee, again de-
clined. and the reasons set forth by
the committee are appended. But
While Mayor Truclsen was anxious to
debate with Mr.. Hugo, he declined to
extend the courtesy TO the Socialist
candidate. Following is the challenge
from Mr.. Oppernlan TO Mayor Truel-
sen: :" < %st$1aEF Ss
Sir: AS the candidate of the Social
ist Labor party for the office of may
or of the city of Duluth. L hereby chal-
lengc you to meet me in public debate
to show cause Why you should receive
the support OF the working classes at
the polls Feb. 6, 1900
"You have repeatedly declared your
self the guardian of labor's interest but
during the recent street car strike, you
openly sympathzed With the street car
company, using your power as mayor
to aid in preventing the successful con-
clusion of the strike, and furthermore,
even attempted to prevent organized
labor from peaceably parading the
streets, thus in most shameful and
cowardly manner treading under foot
a peaceable assemblage of citizens for
the redress Of grievances.
This, and more, I will prove. Dare
you meet me in public debate and
prove otherwise?
sAgain, in August, 1899, you showed
yourself to be the servant of the cap
italist class, when your able lieutenant
of the corrupt police department, Chief
Hansen, gave orders to stop our street
meetings, thus with ruffianlike hands
strangling the words Of Workingmen,
who, realizing that capitalism is a
curse to- humanity, are teaching their
fellow wage-slaves to overthrow it
With the Socialist Labor party vote.
Dare you meet me in public debate
and prove otherwise?
Your allegiance to your capitalist
masters is too apparent to illustrate
with instances. In short, will prove
thut your evn!J action as mayor has
been in thu interest of capitalism, and
against ll,oor.
Dare you meet me? Dare you meet
the representative Of the working
class? L have already challenged Mr..
r.. w. Hugo, the Republican candidate,
who has declined. Let you, at least,
show the manhood you pretend to pos
sess, and accept my challenge. Re-
spectful!yg etc.
Following is Mayor Truelsens reply
sa Mr.. Opperman regarding the above
Challenge:
Dear Sir: Your challenge to meet
Allow me 70 say, that if you were the
representative of lahoring men in the
city Of Duluth should be glad to meet
you to discuss questions concerning
The welfare of labor, but as you are
he representative Of but la handful o
extremists that are trying to reform
the existing conditions and righten the
wrongs Of the past by abusing al
other thinking people, it is useless fol
ne to waste my time, and could no
possibly advance the cause of labor
81 believe to a certain extent in the
doctrines of socialism,. but these re
forms must be carried out step by step
Municipal ownership is the first at
tempt III the right direct.on.. Mex
will come state ownership of public
utilities. the control by the governmen
Of transportation, and can see tina
the future will improve the condition
Of the toilinG masses. | am opposed tt
trusts. combinations and rnonopolies
Ellt | do not believe that all the wrong:
that have grown step by step sor cen
turtles can be overthroWn in few
years. The people are waking UP t.
,he necessity for these great REFORMS
but they Will never be carried out b,
aiiy extremists that you are repre-
se,nting.
'"The charges you make that I an
the representative Of corpora tons ar
utterly false and need no denial from
me. My past history is an opea pool
to the people of this city, Your charg
also that / stood in with the corpora
tlons at the time Of the strike is ut
terry false. ! did everything in m,
power to settle the strike, and M,
work is known to the committee.
d;G not try to prevent a procession, bu
when | talked to the street car me
at the West End, L merely Wante
them TO consider whether, if a dis
turhance should take place, it woul
not injure their cause, and when the
assured me that the procession woul
be peaceahle, and every one pledge
himself to see that no disturbanc
should occur I wished them god spec
in their undertaking. When the strIk
finally turnedAoEt to be a failure, in
stead Of being thanked by the stree
car union, I was abused by some of tn
g nf no y T a1 G