Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13
OEBS IS INTERVIEWED.
Expressed No Choice Between
Roosevelt and Parker.
FOR THE i SOCIALISTS
DECLARED THAT 4EARsT HAD
MADE soc1A11sT1c RECRUITS.
Industrial Party Thoroughly Organ
lied for Campaign-Tckets in
Every State of the Union.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind, August r. 1904.
Terre Haute has distinction akin to
that enjoyed by Oyster Bay and Esopus-on-
the-Hudson. In that Terre Haute has
presidential candidate. This is the home OF
Eugene V. Debs the candidate of the So
cialist party for President of the United
States His running mate is Ben Hanford
of New York. a man identified with Mr..
Hearst in his New York newspaper estab-
lishment.
Mr.. Debs today gave an interview to ].
Martin Miller, Washington correspondent
of the Newark Evening News The inter-
view appears in the News this evening. Mr..
Debs expressed for his party no choice as
between Parker and Roosevelt. and as be-
tween the democratic party and the repub
hcan party; 1t six of one and a half
dozen of the other SO far as the socialists
are concerned.
MI Debs was outspoken in stating that
William Randolph Hearst had proved him
self. In his ante-convention campaign, one
OF the greatest makers of socialists this
country nao ever known. Mr.. Hearst did
this, however, without any intention of
making socialists votes. But Mr.. Hearst's
newspapers have made the laboring people
believe that he was their champion. When
he started his campaign he rallied these
FORCES within the democratic party to his
standard Tens of thousands of these mis-
LED people, as Mr.. Debs believes were very
much disappointed and discouraged In the
way Mr.. Hearst closed up his campaign
He had been, ostensbly, fighting the trusts
and the corporations, but when he Endorsed
the monopolstic candidate Of the demo-
cratic party he completely upset all the
work 1t was thought at one time he was
doing.
Will Draw Democrats to Ticket.
Mr.. Debs says that the tens of thousands
In the la boring element yhn To Mr.
Hearst in that campaign are, of course,
democrats and naturally the socialist party
will draw their added strength from the
democratic party. This is particularly true
of the great industrial centers. The inter
view of Mr.. Debs which was written down
verbatim. is as follows
The socialist party this time is thor
oughly organized in every state of the
Union. We are at the present time busiy
engaged in making our national and state
organizations more complete We have a
full national ticket and state tickets in
every commonwealth of the nation. We
did not have state tickets in every state
in the last presidential campaign. In the
congressional election of 1902 we polled
225, 903 votes while in the presidential cleo
ton of 1900 we polled only S,424. This in
dicates to you somewhat the growth of the
new party.
I'VE have the most perfectly organized
political party in the world. This syste-
matte organization, however, has been
brought about since the last presidential
campaign. The general public, apparent
ly, has not evinced interest enough in what
we are doing to Keep pace with our phe-
eraI Weakening up on me morning after
election to find g. great surprise in the
enormous vote we cast.
-Four years ago our newspaper organ,
weekly published at the little town of
Girard,- Kan, had circulation of scarcely
10000. Today our actual paid circulation is
100000. Some time ago the Post Office De-
partment did not believe that we had that
circulation. that was paid for. and they pro-
posed to throw us out of the mailing privi-
ege. When our editor went to Washing
ton and proved to Third Assistant Postmas-
ter General Madden that our paper did not
send out copy that was not actually paid
for by bona fide subscribers the department
surprised, and since then they have
allowed us to go along in peace.
Literature in Different Languages.
Neither of the old political parties
publish their literature in the different Ian
guages as we do. Since the last presiden-
tial campaign we have established in Chi
cago literary headquarters for the national
socialist committee Here we have a crops
of translators at work. translating all of
cur political literature into German
French, Italian, Slav, Yiddsh, Russian.
Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Scandina-
Wan, Polish and Hungarian. There is no
other political party in the world doing
this. We are striving to educate all the
people All that either of the old parties
care for is to get the votes of these for
e1gners on election day. They don't care
whether they know anything about princi-
pies or not so they get the votes We adj
wise every man who is in doubt concerning
our principles to vote against us until he un-
derStands us.
we have board of literature in our na-
tional committee. Every article that is
submitted by adherents to the socialist
cause must be passed upon by this com
mittee to guard against any false doc
trines creeping into our printed matter in
all languages. Controversial topics of
course, can be printed in our press but
whatever is issued in the name of the
party must be sound in order to preserve
the integrity of the movement We feel
that we have accomplished a great deal in
placing this literary bureau on such a per
manent basis since the last presidential
campaign"
How do you raise the money with
which to meet the expenses of this bu-
reau?" the correspondent asked
THE necessary funds are raised" said
Mr.. Debs. by every member of the party
voluntarily contributing the equivalent Of
a half days wages once for each cam
paign and such other voluntary contrihu-
tions as may be made by the party mem
bers and their friends. For instance If a
man belonging to our party earns 81 a day
he gives so cents to the party in each cam
pdlSn party eApcHscS. we nave 4O.NU
dues paying members In the socialist par
ty The minimum dues paid is 5 cents a
month, or 60 cents a year.
That amount may be increased by the
member voluntarily naming any amount he
wishes to pay for the cause. This money
is used for transating and printing our
literature in the different languages The
only expenses we have are for literature
travelling organizers and speakers The
literature is distributed. mainly free, while
the speakers all serve for their actual ex-
penses.
I'VE do not spend single cent to influ-
ence votes except as they are Influenced
by literature or the argument of our speak
ers We do not buy cigars, whisky or
wine, or pay for carriage rides for any
body.
Full Tickets in All States.
I'VE will have full state tickets in every
state of the Union. OF course we have the