Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-11
DWELLS LARGELY ON PROBLEM
OF THE UNEMPLOYED
Compliments Local Socialists on Their
Free Speech Struggle, and Pleads
Powerfully for Alleged Mex
lean RevoIutionists

noted as leading members of the
party.
After the singing of the "Marseil-
laise," both in English by the audi
Choir, w. H. Newerth, chairman of the
central county committee, called the
meeting formally to order and after
thanking those present for the splen-
did reception that they had insured to
the speaker of the evening, stated that
the regular chairman of the evening
would be Fred G. Wheeler, secretary
of the Carpenters union of this city.
The latter introduced as the first
speaker A. M. Simons. editor of the
Chicago Daily Socialist, who is accom-
panying Mr.. Debs on his tour. Mr..
Simons made an extended address, in
which he criticised severely existing
conditions, stating that at this present
moment there were five million home
less, houseless workers in this country
as the result of the private ownership
of the means of production.
1t was o'clock before Mr.. Debs
made his appearance. He was greeted
with great applause. everybody stand
ing. The chairman introduced him
with somewhat lengthy speech, in
which he discussed the earlier phase
oil the movement, the audience finally
becoming somewhat impatient and
calling loudly for the main speaker of
the evening.
Crlticises Competitive System
Mr.. Debs began by stating that it
was quite apparent that the audience
was Socialist one, dominated by the
class conscious spirit a d that of the
social revolution, and composed
largely of undesirable" citizens-a re-
mark that produced much applause.
He then plunged directly into a criti-
cism of the existing competitive sys-
tenn, stating slat it was characterized
on the one hand by extreme wealth
aad on the other hand by abject pow
erty, but that it had about run its
historic course, having outlived ITS use use
fulness, as evidenced by the fact that
we today find ourselves the victims
of another panic, with failures. bank
ruptcy, idleness, despair and death.
He recalled the fact that the Repub-
lican party, in its platform of 1885,
charged the Democrats, who had been
In power, with being responsible. for
the panic of 1893, and he urged that
with equal consistency he might
charge the Republican party with be-
ing responsible for the panic that set
in last year The Republican party
came into power in 1896, by which time
industry had again begun to revive
its slogan in 1900 was LET we'll enough
alone; in 1904, "Stand pat" and now
it is ''God knows" If the Democratic
party was responsible for the previous
panic assuredlv the Republican party
must be held answerable for this, since
It has been in power for the last
twelve years.
At this point he repeated the state
ment already made by Mr.. Simons,
editor of the Chicago Daily Socialist,
that at the present hour there are five
million workers out of employment,
one-sixth of the entire productive force
of the country.
The speaker, in a passage of much
eloquence, then dwelt on the enormous
development of material resources that
enables us to produce in excess of all
wants, and for this he gave the capt.
talistic system full credit, but he en-
phasized the fact that these very forces
have outgrown their old forms and
that new system, new era, a new
dawn for humanity is now in order.
He expatiated the statement that in
the evolution of this capitalistic sys-
tenn society had been divided into two
conflicting classes, and that the man
who used but did not own was set
opposite the man who owned and did
not use. The capitalists declare, he
said, that the Socialists are endeavor-
ing to array class against class. If
there are no classes how can they be
arrayed against one another?
Socialism is the next advance of civ
ilization. This year will prove to be
historical in American politics, for it
will mark the political awakening of
the workers. For the first time the
workers are beginning to understand
that their interests are identical and
that they must unite both economical
ly and politically. AS individuals they
are helpless; when combined there Is
no power on this earth that can stand
L. ND 01a1o 1ntf
At this point the speaker paid his
compliments to the politicians, who,
he said at this season are telling the
workingman how impressed they are
with his intelligence, with the beads
of perspiration that are more precious
than the jewels of coronet, and with
his horny hands. Mr.. Debs remarked
with infinite dryness that the politician
himself did not wear that kind of jew
elry and that his own hands were not
horny. Neither he himself nor the So
cialist party fiattered the workers on
their intelligence, but quite the con-
trary.
He explained that. in his view, if the
Republican party is that of the big
capitalists and trusts, which are here
to stay, the Democratic party is that
of the small capitalists, who are wag-
ing a desperate fight for existence and
are doomed. The Democrats are pro-
posing to protect your bank account.
How many of you wage workers have
bank accounts to protect?
s The speaker then referred to the
prevalence of woman and child indus
try, which is coming more and more
in vogue, with the consequence that
the man finds himself superfiuous, but
he added that So per cent of the prod
uct of the country today Is the result
of the machine itself, which is the
most formidable competitor of all.
Mr. Debs made a special appeal to
the American spirit in his reference
to the pioneers of the abolition move
ment, singing out John Brown for spe-
cial praise. In conclusion he paid
glowing compliment to the Los Angeles
Socialists for their self-sacrifcing ef-
forts on behalf of free speech, saying
that they had not been afraid to go to
Jail on behalf of the right, and he
made an eloquent plea for the alleged
Mexican revolutionists now in the
county Jail, saying that they must not
be handed over to death, seeing that
their sole defense was the endeavoring
to do in their country just what all
Socialists were trying to do here,
namely, to emancipate their fellow
countrymen from slavery.
He concluded by reminding the au-
dience that 1t was in the power of
each to help along materially the
course of evolution and hasten the
coming of brighter day for humanity.