The Holly chieftain., 1902-08-08
DEFENDS SOCIALISM
SPEECH OF EUGENE v. DEss

Thought Ostraciseo by Men OF
Their Own Day.
Denver, May 2T.-Coliseum hall, the
| largest auditorium in the city. was
filled to overflowius last night 10 hear
Eugene V. Debs. eXpuuud socialism.
The gathering was under the auspices
Of the executive board of the Western
Federation of Miners and the Western
Labor Union. and the badges of the
delegates to the convention Of those or
eanizations huttered in every part of
the hall. while the leaders occupied
seats upon the rostrum.
Attorney John IL Murphy presided.
Daniel Mcdonald, president of the
Western Labor Union. was the first
speaker, and was followed by Lieuten-
attn Governor Coates. and Rev. T. f.
Hagerry. All made brief speeches urs-
Ing the delegates to thoughtful consid.
Grafton of their work They cham
ploncd the political program along so
cialistiC lines. TO which, they will en-
deayor TO commit the conventions.
When Mr. Debs was presented as the
orator Of the evening. the audience rose
10 receive him and rendered an enthu-
siustic greeting.
j ne lIOuNlt WIN Alt "tIhlHe lIdli
has been" said he. that they have de-
pended upon some one else. You must
learn self-rrliauce and the value of
unity. Do not forget Homestead and
the other places where Republican and
Democratic governors have ordered
your fellows shot down because they
were guilty of the objectionable crime
of demanding living wage. The com
~ ~ 1yIi,.lt r,nrp,it. /, N fn "
italistic class to exploit the working
class must 20. I do not propose to
amend the system. | mean TO end it.
lApplause)
Il am not Il reformer. The term is
subject to suspicion. 1t savors of dis
honesty | like the word revolution.
1t Strs the blood. The time has come
for action. The conventions meeting
here realize it and | believe they Will
adopt Il policy which will inspire the
labor world.
"Cut loose from the representatives
of the Capitalistic class and when you
have a grievance in the industrial
field put 100000 votes back Of ii in
the political field. This socialist move
ment is worldwide Wherever the
black flag of capitalstic exploitation
futters it is confronted by the blood
red flag of socialism. 1t is not the
question of wages | would not be sat
iShcd with n wage If 1t We're 81 600 per
day. You are entitled to all you pro-
duce and no man should be permitted
to deprive you of a part. You produce
everything and have nothing. The cap
italistic eXploitcr produces nothing and
has everything.
I'm five years this movement will
have become SO strong that ii will be
difficult to find a man in Denver who
will not insist that he was the original
socialist. However only those who
stand by the movement now, when it
Is not considered respectable, will be
then honOred."
He recOunted the history of the great
leaders of thought. all of whom he in
sisted had been ostracized by the men
of their own day and idealized by pos
terity As he told of the murder of
Elijah Lovejoy ard the hanging of
John Brown many in the audience
Were visibly affected. And now the
| Legislature of New York tells us that
| the most sacred soil in the common
wealth is that which covers the dust OF
the man who was executed ut Harper s
| Ferry exclaimed the orator. As the
| latter paused. \. +. Morgan rose in
| the body of the hall and exclaimed rev.
erently. amen \ whirlwind of ap-
| plause swept the auditorium.
| Socialism means that the producer
| shall have what he produces" contin-
ued Debs. "It means that you miners
| shall have the ore which you blast
| from the heart Of nature. If it, is not
100 per cent yours. whose is it:'
Mark Hanna's." exclaimed some one
In the audience, amid laughter
THAT would seem To be the opinion
of the majority of the workingmen,
was the ready response. AT least
they have been voting that way for
many years. Now Hanna is made a ST.
lent partner in combination which
has for its object the betterment of the
masses. If | were Il dove, l would as
soon think of subjecting myself to the
care of ravenous hawk" tApplause.)
He proceeded TO lambnst the chair
man of the Republican national COM
mIttee and. inferentially. Gompers and
other labor leaders associated with
him. Again he denounced the politi-
clans and took up the preachers.
At this point one of the most remark
able demonstrations of the evening Oc-
Cured. The speaker had declared that
the majority of the ministers were sub
ject to the influence of the rich and
afraid to champion the cause Of the
workngman. "There have been. and
are. exceptions which prove the rule, y
said he. You once had a minister