The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-09-14

Following are the high spots in the
speech delivered by Eugene " Debs,
leader Of the Socialist party in Amer
lea, in Great Falls Tuesday. More
than one thousand people packed the
Grand theatre to hear the speech:
The lecture in part:
Friends and Comrades: 1t is with
q deep sense Of the interest you have
in the cause for which J am TO speak
that | thank you for this very cordial
greeting, this inspiring manifestation
Of your sympathy and goodwill which
! appreciate all the more because of
The participation of many here assem-
bled who are not in accord with our
principles, but who have that spirit Of
fairness and federation that ought to
prevail among all men at all times and
under all circumstances no matter
how widely they may be at variance
in their political and other beliefs nd
affiliations.
I am of that minority which believes
/ that the social system in which we
live has fulfilled its historic mission,
executed the mandate of history; and
that the time is near at hand when
society must be reOrganiZed upon a
new foundation. Indeed, it is my
conviction that the world today trem-
bles upon the verge Of the greatest
organic change in all the history Of
mankind. Let US understand at the
very threshold of this discussion that
every social system had its period Of
birth and development and maturity;
that it fulhlls its historic mission,
outlives it's usefulness, and then
passes away to make room for one
more i'm harmony with the forces of
progress and the onward march of
civilization.
The system in which we live today,
called the capitalist system, evolved
from the feudalism Of the Middle
Ages; and this system has about full
filled itself. Now upon every hand we
behold the unerIing signs Of change;
Capitalization and combination based
upon cooperation are the master
forces Of this age, and they are stead
| lily paving the way to the new social
order, steadily evolving from the
present competitive chaos. There is
no longer any trouble about the pro-
duction of wealth; that problem has
| been solved. Every atom in this
planet is wealth in its raw state; and
! hidden in every breeze and every cat
aract there are the forces of nature
which may be applied to modern ma
chinery, to transmute these raw ma
terials into the finished products called
wealth. | think we are all agreed that
we live i'm a very highly favored land,
a land Of fabulous resources, mex
haustible supplies Of raw materials,
the most marvellous productive ma
chinery in the world, millions of work
ers, skilled and unskilled, ready TO APP
ply their labor to that machinery to
produce in abundance for every man,
woman and child. And if there are
still vast numbers of our people who
are the victims of poverty, whose life
is a continuous struggle all the way
from youth to age until at last death
comes to the rescue, stills their ach
ing heart and lulls them TO dreamless
sleep-if there are still great numbers
who are not properly housed anC
clothed and fed, it cannot be charged
to the Almighty. 1t is not the faul
Of nature. 1t is due entirely to thu
outgrown social system we tolerate
that ought to be abolished, not onl!
In the interest of the working clas
but i'm the higher interest Of all hu
mainly
| am speaking this evening primar
lily in the interest OF the working class
: and through the working class IN tn
interest Of all classes of people. | ar
the one OF those who believe that onl
am enlightened working class can brin
4 peace to this war-ton world. /
every age, in every nation, the toilin
ard producing millions have been i
|, subsection and servitude. The badg
q Of useful service has always been tn
n symbol Of slavery In the ancien