The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-07
TRUSTS GOOD THINGS
If Servants and Not Masters,
Says Eugene v. Debs
SHOULD BE BELLAMYIZED
Social Democrats in Their
First National Convention.

Indianapolis, Ind, March 6-The first
national convention of the Social Demo
cratic party, for the purpose of nominat-
ing candidates for president and vice
president. met today at 10 O'Clock In
Reichwein's hall. Jesse Cox, chairman
of the national executive board. called
delegates Comrades" and they called
the presiding officer "comrade chairman -
They called each ether comrades. The
temporary Craftsmanship was offered to
Eugene V Debs and to Mr.. Cox, both
declining because OF other duties on the
national board. William Mailly CT Hav-
erhill was. selected temporary chairman
by exclamation. Committees on rules
and credentials were then appointed.
During the recess that followed the ma
donaI executive committee met and con-
sidered the reports submitted to the con-
vention. The report says:
1.-THE original organizers Of our party,
prof ting by prior experience, believe that
it is essentialSto the success Of any So
cialistic political party that its members
should be in accord with each other as 70
the main principles of the party and the
pahcy to be pursued. Therefore the
founders of this movement, while endeav-
oring to maintain a friendly attitude to-
wards all those who are dissatisfied with
present conditions and who are honestly
seeking to better them by any methods,
deemed it unwise TO associate them selves
in any political movement with any per-
sons. however honest and we'll disposed
who did not understand and subscribe 10
the fundamental principles Of interna-
tional socialism, as stated and embodied
in the platform adopted for the party. It
is therefore made g. condition or MEM
bership in the party that the members
subscribe to the fundamental principles -
The report says that the American peo-
pie have been slow to recognize the now
obvious fact that the existing economic
capitalist system has, both by concen-
trating the capital Of the country in the
hands Of a few, divided American society
into two classes, whose interests are
necessarily antagonistic and irreconcila-
BILE. 1t is upon this antagonisn Of class
interests, the report says, that the social
movement has been founded. The report
shows that in the eighteen months exist
ence of the party twenty members have
been elected to office. and urges that can
didates for Office be nominated at every
political election where opportunity ex-
lists. There are $500 dues-paying mem
bers.
AT this afternoons session Frederick
A. Strickland of Chicago was elecaed
permanent secretary and Messrs. Putnam
and Johnson assistants. 1t was shown
that there were sixty-two delegates with
1S05 votes from seventeen states. On mo-
ton Of Eugene V Debs committee Of
three was appointed TO receive the com
mittee representing the Social Labor
party, which will arrive tomorrow.
Eugene V. Debs said in an interview to-
day: The Social Democrat party be-
Heves in trusts, and also believes in the
public ownership of them. View look
upon them as blessings in disguise and
we also believe that 1t is impossible to
regulate them by legislation. The only
way to make them a benefit to the labor
ing masses is for the government to own
and control them"