Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-03-17

..n.on and evening, Eugene V. Debss
H. leader Of the famous A. R.. u.
.trike delivered addresses bitterly ex-
eoriating the Federal Judges and ex-
ulaining Socialism.
mr. Debs spoke. in part. as fol
lows:
To the workingman in particular
>, ia important to know what social
ism is and what 1t means. H..
let us endeavor to make it so cIeai
IN him that he will readily grasp It
and the moment he does he becomes
a socialist.
II is our conviction that no work
;,oman can clearly understand what
.ocia,ism means without becoming
"a. remaining a socialist. 1t is
sjmnly impossible fer him to be any
thing else and the only reason that
oil workingmen are not socialists
d that they do not know what II
means.
They have heard Of socialism-and
thev have heard of anarchy and OF
other things all mixed togetner-ana
without going to any trouble ABOUT
Il they conclude that it Is all the same
thing and a good thing to let alone. !
Why? Because the capitalist edi-
TOR has said so; the politician is OPP
nosed to socialism and that the editor
and politician preacher are but the
voices of the capitalist. There are
some exceptions. but not enough 70
affect the rule.
Socialism is, first OF aII,s4a move
Inent Of the working class, clearly de-
Aned and uncompromising, which
aims at the overthrow Of the prevail
ing capitalist system by securing con-
troll Of the national government and
by the exerciseGof the public powers,
supplanting the existing capitalist
class government with socialist ad-
ministration-that is to say, changing
a republic in name to republic IN
fact.
Socialism also means a coming
phase Of civilization, next in, order
. to the present one in which the cOIiec-
tive people will own and operate the
sources of means of wealth produc-
ton, in which all will have equal
fright to work and all wifi cooperate
together in producing wealth and all
will enjoy all the fruit of their col
lectiye labor,
In the present system of society,
called the capitalist system, since
it is controlled by and supported IN
the interest of the capitalist class, we
have two general classes of people:
first, capitalists and second workers
The capitalists are few, the workers
many; the capitalists are called CAPT
talists because they own the produc-
tive capital of the country, the lands,
mines, Quarries, oil and gas wells
mills, factories, shops, stores, ware
houses. refneries, tanneries. eleya-
tors, docks. wharyes, railroads. street
cars, steamships. shelters, blast fur
naces, brick and stone yards, stock
pens. packing houses, telegraph wires
and poles. pipe lines. and all Other
sources. means and tools of prOduc-
ton, distribution and exchange. The
capitalist class who own and control
these things also own and control Of
course the millions of jobs that are
attached to and inseparable from
them. al
1t goes without saying that the
owner of the job is the master OF the
Yellow who depends upon the job.
Now why does the workingman de-
pend upon the capitalist for a job!
simply because the capitalist owns
the tools with which work is done
and without these the workingmar
is as helpless as if he had no arms.
Before the tools became q machine
Inc worker who used it also owned
III II one was lost or destroyed ht
got another The tool was small; il
was for. individual use and what the
-workingman produced with It was
us own. He did not have to beg
some one else to allow him to use
MS tools-he had his own. ~! "a
But century has passed since
men, and in the order of progress
tnat simple tool has become a nam
moth machine II e
- The old hand tool was used by q
single worker-and owned by hin
who used it.
AoCuAuc requires t00uSduC
or ten thousand workers to operatt
A. but they do not own it, and what
.aey produce with it does not 60 II
snem: out to the capitalist who doe!
own It,
The workers who use the machine
are the slaves of the capitalist WHIT
They can work only BY his per
mission. - -, r
me capitalist is capitalist solel!
LOT proht-without profit he. wouls
no, oe In business an Instant Tha
Is his first and only consideration.
II the capitalist system profit i
v v, 70 and more important than ii,
"'S GO liberty Of the Workingman.
me capitalists profit ilrst, last an,
r. sn ~ays. He owns the tools and onl.
u0"s sAe WoEket to u.s. tkem q