Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-06-06
pebs, love of children and his de-


trating the unselfishness OF the child
who is defiled BY capitalist greed.
Debs was to speak in country town
| in Oklahoma. 1t was in the early
summer and a street fair was at its
height. The steam merry-go- round
was the center of attraction as US
ual. Debs found group of four or
five urchins looking longingly at the
flying steeds. He said: Come on,
boys, will give 20 ia ride" One
little fellow, with parting grin at
his companions, shouted, wait a
minute, kids" and away he flew. In
about five minutes he returned and
was surrounded by about dozen OF
his pals. Debs' delight in the young
ster's unselfishness and thoughtful
ness expressed itself in furnishing a
free ride for the whole bunch.
| In May, 1870, he began work on
the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Rail
road company, now the Pennsylvania
system. In 1879 he accepted posi-
ton in grocery house In Terre
Haute, later in the year he was
elected city clerk. He served in that
office for four years. He helped to
organize the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Firemen, the Brotherhood of
Railroad Brakemen, the SWitchmen's
Mutual Aid Association, the Brother
hood of Railway Carmen, the Order
of Railroad Telegraphers and other
local unions.
At the Buffalo convention In 1878
he was made associate editor of the
Firemen's Magazine, and in 1880 he
was appointed grand secretary and
treasurer and editor and manager of
that magazine He served in that
capacity until 1894. At the Cincinnati
convention in 1892 he rendered his
resignation, which was unanimously
refused, and he was unanimously re-
elected. Finally, after much relue-
lance, his resignation was accepted.
When the A. R. U. went to pieces
it had legal PUBLICATIONS to the amount
of $4,000. Although there were no
obligations upon Debs, he helped to
lift every cent of this debt by lectur-
ing and writing.
In 1893 he and few of his associ-
ates organized the American Railway
Union. This small handful of men,
with their eyes set upon the goal OF
solid body of workers, was the nu-
cleus out Of which grew the Social
list party as the political expression
of the working class Of America.
Great Northern Strike.
On April IS, 1894, the first strike
of the A. R. U. was called. Then the
newly organized body Of union ideal
lists had an opportunity to test their
their theory. The result Of that test
is well known. The appeal to the
| workers was couched in the folio wing
| language. .
1--WE need your financial and moral
support everywhere. It is the great
est strike the world has ever seen.
Give us your moral and fina ncial
support through thegeneral office at
Chicago. Act quickly. See if we can
not break the chains that are being
| forged around US to reduce u.s. not
only to slavery, but to starvation"
| Meetings were held at all points,
and at the end of eighteen days not
only had thousands of members been
added to the union, but the strike
was ended without the spilling OF a
drop of blood, the striking railway
men getting 971a per cent of their
demand. y
The situation was serious one
for the master class. A union 80 pow
erful must have it's lesson sooner or
later. So they got their lesson In the
Pullman strike in June, 1894. The
union won their victory in Pullman,
but that victory was turned to de-
feat by the intervention Of the fed
eral courts and the militia. Debs was
arrested for conspiracy and kept IN
der the jurisdiction of the courts for
eighteen months, his trial coming to
an abrupt close by the illness OF one
of the jurors. The juror must have
been very i'll, as notice of his r ecov-
cry has never been made either to
Debs or his attorney. It is suspected,
however, that the real cause OF the
ending of the trial was becau SO it
was learned that Debs' attorney had
in his possession the secret proceed
ings of the Railway General Mana
gers Association.
A first-hand knowledge of the real
conditions of the working class as
he has it from the strikes, and the
Ion0 unn4hS of confinement IN