Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-19
CHEERS GREET DEBS
Three Thousand Hear Social
ist Presidential Candidate.
BITTER AGAINST WILSON
Pictures Bad Conditions in Coal
Mines and Steel Mills.
RED MUCH IN EVIDENCE
Many Wear Crimson Neckties and
Garry Flags of Same Color-Large
Number of Women Present.
RED MUCH IN EVIDENCE

Fully three thousand persons paid
admission to hear socialist doctrine
from the lips of Eugene v. Debs at
Convention Hall last night. A scat
tering OF this great crowd wore red
neckties and carried red flags, the en-
blem Of the socialist party. but the
larger part of the audience was made
up of men and women who do not be-
long to the party, but who took great
interest in the speech. The proportion
of women in the audience was one Of
the noticeable features Of the gather
ing. They listened to the incisive de-
livery OF the socialist candidate for the
presidency with quiet attention. break
ing 1t only when the speaker would
utter one of his characteristic economic
witticisms; the socialists present being
especially gleeful at Mr.. Debs' bitter
utterances against Woodrow Wilson.
Eugene V. Debs' speech could not have
failed to interest every one who heard
it. 1t bristled with sharp words: 1T pre-
scented pictures of industrial conditions
in coal mines and steel plants which
brought actual shrinking and shudder-
ing to some Of the women present. Debs
did not rant when he cried out his be-
lief that capital is tyrant and that the
workers of America are the poems" Of
moneyed interests.
Greeted With Cheers.
The crowd cheered for fully five min
utes when Debs marched to the plat
form, fianked on either side by young
women, dressed in white and wearing
red sashes and carrying red banners
They were members of the Young Peo-
pies Socialist League of this city. Debs
tried to break through the noise, with
his Introductory remarks. but the cheer
ing continued until the noise makers
were tired. The cheering broke out again
and again throughout his talk. and the
elimination Of enthusiasm occurred as
he said:
Socialism is inevitable. You may re-
tard 1t for time, but you cannot stop
This year." said Mr.. Debs, marks
crucial period in our history. More men
are leaving their old parties this year
than ever before. There is greater re-
alignment in politics than there has been
heaval going on all about US, and in all
o fthe strikes and industrial turmoil there
is being worked out the great answer to
the problems which are presented to us.
He assailed republicans. democrats and
third termers alike. but was especially
severe on the democrats OF the third
termers he said that the only good In
their party was making straight for So
cialism, and that the third-term move
ment was more of protest than a party
Describes Conditions.
He painted picture of the conventions
at Chicago and Baltimore, with a back
ground of wealth against which silk
hated boodlers and grafters. stopping at
the best hotels" were acting as delegates.
The socialist convention at Indianapolis
h, In d,,ll ShnU-tnR
a gathering of working men and women
at third-cass hotels.
THE socialist party he continued, lis
the only party without fraudulent issues
or a false pretense. Republican and DEM
ocratic parties are both financed from the
same source. And 1 am not here asking
you for votes. 1 ask you to vote for
yourselves The workingman has begun
to think for himself.
THE republican party proposes to dis
solve the trusts-just as the Standard Oil
has been dissolved" This brought a
laugh. "Archbold has discovered that
Standard Oil is a specific for the itching
palms of capitalist politicians Woodrow
Wilson proposes to restrict the trusts and
give competition fair chance. He-Jpro-
poses to turn the wheels of time back a
hundred years, to give us the days of
tallow dip and stage coach. That's what
he says, in effect, but he doesn't mean. a
word of it, He is nice gentleman, and
have not a word to say against him,
and politically he has not word to say
for himself.
Voice Calls Out 'Amen."
A deep bass voice roared out amen
as Mr. Debs declared the two leading po-
litical parties are unspeakable in their
corruption. Mr.. Debs diverged from his
general lines for few moments to de-
cry the fact that there is no vote in the
District of Columbia and declared that
the socialist party is the only one with a
plank in its platform looking to the en-
reimbursement of the residents of the
National Capital. A straw vote, taken at
the meeting, showed a preponderance of
voters in favor of suffrage in the Dis
trict.
William V. johnson introduced Mr.
Debs, and Louis kopelin, managing ed
itor of a socialist paper, spoke for few
minutes advertising socialist literature.