Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-26
Socialist Nominee Accepts
Honor Without a For
NAL Notification.
FOR NEW CIVILIZATION
Progressive Party Put in Same
Class With the Old Or
ganizationS.

Terre Haute, Ind, Aug. &C.
at is with full sense OF
the responsibility it imposes and
the service It exacts that
accept the nomination for president
rendered TO me by the socialist party
OF the United States. Personally
did not wish the nomination. II came
20 me susought. II came as a summons
20 service and not as personal
honor" said Mr.. Debs today. accept
ing the nomination Of the socialist
party for president.
In marked contrast with the notifi-
cation ceremonies OF other political
parties, the socialist presidential nom-
iDee. Eugene V. Debs. today accepted
the nomination by simply informing
the newspapers they were at liberty
which he sent to them in printed
torn. There was no ceremony of any
kind Debs said:
Every true member OF the socialist
party is at the party's service. The
confidence OF his comrades is to him
a sacred trust and their collective
will the party's law.
MY chief concern as a presidential
candidate is that / shall serve well
the party. and the class and the cause
the party represents.
The socialist party is fundamental
ly different from all other parties.
II came in the process of evolution
and grows with the growth of the
forces which created 1t. It's spirit Is
militant and it's aim revolutionary.
j expresses in political terms the
aspiration OF the working class 10
freedom and to a larger and fuller life
tnan they have yet known.
WORLDS SLAVES.
The worlds workers have always
been and still are the worlds slaves
They have borne all the burdens OF
the race and built all the monuments
along the track Of civilization; they
have produced all the worlds wealth
and supported all the worlds govern
ments. They have conquered all
things but their own freedom. They
are still the subject class in every
nation on earth and the chief func
tion Of every government is to keeI
them at the mercy of their masters
The workers in the mills and fac
tories. in the mines and on the farms
and railways never had a party oi
their own until the socialist party
was organized. They divided Their
votes between the parties of theli
masters. They did not realize tha
they were using they ballots to forge
their own fetters.
But the awakening came. 1t was
bound to come. Glass rule becam,
more and more oppressive and wage
slavery more and more CALLING. Tn,
eyes OF the workers began 10 open
They began to see the cause OF tht
misery they had dumbly suffered 81
many years. II dawned upon then
that society was divided into TIVE
classes. capitalists and workers. eX
ploiters and producers: that the cap
talists. while comparatively few, own
ed the nation and controlled the gov
ernment; that the courts and the sol
diers were at their command. and tina
the workers. while in a great majority
were In slavish subjection.
PUT ON BLACKLIST.
When they ventured TO protes
they were discharged and found then
selves blacklisted; when they wen
cut on strike they were suppresse,
by the soldiers and sent TO Jail.
They looked about them and say
land OF wonderful resources; the
saw the productive machinery mad
by their own hands and the vas
wealth produced by their own labor
and children were perishing in tn
skeleton clutch OF famine
The very suffering they wer
forced to endure ,quickened thei
senses. They began TO think.
new light dawned upon their dar
skies. They rubbed the age-lon
sleep from their eyes They hai
long felt the brutalizing effect Of clas
rule; now they saw the cause of 1
Slowly but steadily they becam
class-conscious. They said. we ar
brothers. we are comrades and the
saw themselves multiplied by mi
lions. They caught the prophetic ba
tlecry Of Karl Marx. the world
greatest labor leader. the inspire
evangel OF working class emancip
uon-workers Of ali countries, unite
And now behold, The internatio,
al socialist movement spreads ou
over all the nations OF the earth. Tt
worlds workers are aroused at las
They are no longer on their knee.
their bowed bodies are now ereC