The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-13
.EV. DEBS SPEAKS
At NEW DECATUR
Explains Principles of Socialism
to Four Hundred
FEW LADIES ATTEND
Speaks Hopefully of the Future Pros
poets of the Movement-Says So
cialism Is Not Under
stood.

New Decatur, August 12.-(Special )-Eu-
gene v. Debs, socialist and labor leader,
spoke here last night to an audience of
about 400 on the subject of socialism. His
speech was listened to with marked at
tention and he was often interrupted by
applause. There were but few ladies' in
the audience, and most of the men who
heard him We're mechanics in the Louis
vile and Nashville railroads shops, though
there were few business and profess
sional men in the audience Mr. Debs
Is rapid speaker and at times his ut
terances came so fast that it was almost
impossible to follow him.
The history of the human race" said
Mr.. Debs, lis one long story of class
struggles, in which the few have ruled
the many; the few have worn the purple
of power and the many have labored as
their slaves. I will not appeal to your
prejudice, hate or passion. but will adj
dress myself to your reason. It required
many thousand years to bring man to
his present progress and civilization.
Material Progress.
The last century and half has seen
more material progress than all the past
ages. All this earth is a vast mass of
raw material. If any man, woman or
child is not properly housed it is not due
to the Creator but to the system I'M
der which we live The trouble of the
majority of people they do not think, they
drift"
He then spoke at length on the evolu-
ton of the industrial world and drew
some glowing pictures along the way.
judaism" he said, was overthrow,
but the system under which we now live
evolved from it. and our present system
Is now nearing its close. A new principle
has come to the 'front.' in place Of compe-
tltion it is cooperation. On one hand it
is wealth and luxury and on the other
ignorance and crime and want on ae-
count of our social system. Industry in
every form Is organizing and competition
is being eliminated as a result. Thus
small business is being squeezed out. This
is the cause of trusts. In the next few
years we will have a trust of trusts. the
name of which has not as yet been
coined.
THE working class. ignorant as they
fstence, from barbarians they became
slaves and slaves became serfs
Not Understood.
Socialism is not understood II does
not mean the taking away from the in
dustrlous and giving to the worthless; it
Is a science; it points OUT that the tool is
a social tool, that it must be socially
made. The working class constitute three
fourths of the population, their wages
will buy but one-sixth of what they pro-
duce. The remainder Of the population
cannot consume the rest so we export it,
but every other nation is doing this Then
comes over-production and a period of de-
preston follows just as night follows day
Under our present system we are bound
to have an over production; this causes
panies. During the past thirty years we
have had five panies The first was In
1878 and at this period the tramp was
created. There are in the United Sta<s
one million products of this system The
vicious environments produce bad men and
bad women" He then said that he could
go to Chicago, where is to be found every
phase OF society in the world, and that
he could take one hundred babes from
the slums from the home of the million
aire and refined and cultured, from the
brothels and other places and take them
out into the country where their environ
ments would be of the best and return
them at the age of eighteen and that
he would defy any man TO say which came
from the sum and which from the pal
ace. which from the home of culture and
which from the brothel.
what we socialists want Is the right
kind of environments. We must have So
cialsm and human nature will take care
of itself When our economical interests
become equal then we will work side by
side in harmony. We are not yet pre-
pared for socialism, but we are rapidly
nearing 1t. Socialism is the perfection of
government. 1t proposes social ownership
of those things that are socially used by
the people. Why should a capitalist own
that which all OF us use?"
Mr.. Debs remained in the city last night.
the guest OF A. r. Isaac. He went east
this morning on the Southern railroad
There are quite a number of socialists
in this city. There were sxty-four votes
polled for Debs at the last presidential
election in New Decatur alone Socialists
here say that there are now more than
twice that amount of socialist votes in
New Decatur.