In 1920 continuous fighting in the party had resulted in a split into three separate organizations. Krull, Kathleen. http://www.eugenevdebs.com/ (accessed on July 7,2005). "Millions Reaped What Cesar Chavez Sowed." Eugene Victor Debs (1855-1926), whose middle name is a nod to author/activist Victor Hugo, is probably best known at the moment as one of Bernie Sanders' heroes, but historically he's remembered for his role in the Pullman Strike and, more broadly, for introducing the Socialist Party to voters in the United States. Encyclopedia.com. His speeches also raised much-needed funds for the Socialist Party. President Harding finally ordered him set free on Christmas Day 1921, Debs lived until 1926, leaving a legacy best summed up in his own words. Two years later he was appointed editor of the magazine and secretary-treasurer of the brotherhood. His work introduced him to the miserable scenes in Chicago's soup kitchens and charity wards, and he witnessed daily the thousands of homeless, starving men crowding the city streets. Encyclopedia.com. "Statement to the Court." Chvez was born in 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, one of five children in his family. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Making his way in the railroad industry, Debs formed the American Railway Union in 1892. Constantine, J. Robert. After leading the American Railway Union in a confrontation with federal troops sent to break up the Pullman strike of 1894, Debs was jailed for six months for contempt of court. When World War I began in 1914, the party met with hard times. In 1870 Debs became a fireman (the person who feeds the coal into the fire to fuel the engine) for the railroad. "The Issue." Historians note that the 1912 presidential election was a turning point in the history of American social reform. By 1906 they became unhappy with McClure's and took over another journal, American Magazine. Debs left school at the age of 14 and found work as a painter in a railroad yards. He was charged with sedition, or participating in an illegal action that could provoke resistance to the lawful authority, and one in which the disruption or overthrow of the government was possible. "For many years the system, LABOR In 1900 and 1904 he led the Socialists to a fourfold increase in national voting strength, raising the number of votes the party received from about ninety-seven thousand to more than four hundred thousand. Listen to article. He quit at age fourteen to take a job as a painter in the local railroad yards, although he did continue to attend night classes at a local business school when possible. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). Some union leaders were harassed and even physically attacked. Edwards, Owen. The most recent edition of Debs's writings is Writings and Speeches of Eugene V. Debs, with an introduction by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (1948). Excerpt from "Tenement-House Cigar Manufacture" A year later, Debs's group became the Social Democratic Party. Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1855, the son of poor Alsatian immigrants. Christianity, Eugenics and Religious Law: IV. Workers who organized to bargain for job security, safety, and a decent wage could be fired immediately and put on a "blacklist" that circulated among managers in a town. Huberman, Leo. Born on November 5, 1855 in Terre Haute, Indiana, Debs left home at age 14 to work in a railroad shop, where he was paid 50 cents a day for scraping grease and paint from locomotives. (July 25, 2023). Debs asked in 1897 when he announced the formation of his new group, Social Democracy in America. In 1917 America's entrance into war resulted in widespread antagonism toward the Socialists. However, their fortune soon changed for the better when Marguerite began operating a store out of the front room of the family home. He was a good student who loved classic French literature. The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene V. Debs. It was a large garage where railroad cars were repaired or refurbished. Eugene V. Debs: Citizen and Socialist by . It was the closest experience to a situation he had previously only read about in books, such as the novel Les Miserables (1862), one of his favorite stories, by French writer Victor Hugo (18021885). Thrown out of work by the depression of the 1870s, he left Terre Haute briefly to find a railroad job but soon returned to work as a clerk in a wholesale grocery company. 2023 . In American Voices: Significant Speeches in American History, 16401945. Retrieved July 25, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/debs-eugene-victor. Progressive (January 1999): p. 16. Railway owners sided with the Pullman Company, hoping they could take advantage of the strike to destroy the ARU, which threatened to become too powerful for their comfort. Debs went to St. Louis, Missouri, to find work and was shocked to see how the poor lived in cities outside Terre Haute. In a speech on June 16, 1918, to the Socialist Party in Canton, Ohio, Debs stated: " the working class who fight all the battles, the working class who make the supreme sacrifices, the working class who freely shed their blood and furnish the corpses, have never yet had a voice in either declaring war or making peace. THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR In 1900 he ran for President on the ticket of the American Socialist Party; he would do the same in every Presidential election but one between 1900 and 1920. The party did not gain much ground over the previous election in 1904, but made a powerful comeback in 1912. He supported the Populists in 1896 and campaigned for William Jennings Bryan, but Bryans defeat was for Debs the last straw; In January of 1897 he officially declared himself a Socialist. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/debs-eugene-v, "Debs, Eugene V. He supported bills calling for women's suffrage (the right to vote) and an end to racial discrimination (treating groups of people differently due to the color of their skin or other racial characteristics). February 11, 2019 Debs ran for President five times, captivating crowds by the tens of thousands. Next to the factory he built the town of Pullman for the factory workers to live in. (July 25, 2023). 2023 . American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. Pullman envisioned his town as a model of efficiency and good health in which workers and their families could lead comfortable, safe lives. In June 1893 Debs formed the American Railway Union and became its first president. On the other hand, those who bothered to learn the reasons behind the strikers' protests, notably the Chicago newspapers, farmers in the West, and workers' organizations worldwide, often sided with the Pullman laborers. This was viewed as a struggle between big business (the Republicans) and anti-business (the Progressives). if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { Encyclopedia.com. Even though he was no longer a fireman, he joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen in 1874 and rose rapidly in the union. It was not in his nature to compromise on the principles he believed in or to enter into the kind of political maneuvering necessary to pass legislation. The foursome wrote about conditions in industry and took up many reform issues. ." 25 Jul. During the early years of the labor movement in the United States, Debs was far ahead of his times, leading the formation of the American Railway Union (ARU) and the American Socialist Party.. Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on November 5, 1855. Smith, Page. On June 16, 1918, Debs gave a speech before the state branch of the American Socialist Party in Canton, Ohio. Debs was convicted but appealed his case on the grounds that the Espionage Act was unconstitutional and violated Americans' right to freedom of speech, which was guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 2023 . Debs, Eugene. Not until these. 25 Jul. ." For the nation's working class, and leaders like Eugene Debs, it was a time to be angry. Having moved from craft to industrial unionism, Debs now converted to socialism. Eugene Victor Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 5, 1855. His union represented the thousands of migrant laborers who toiled in U.S. agricultural fields. The Socialist Party brought together people with sharply differing views and goals as one partyfarmers, immigrants, laborers, idealists and intellectuals, and the unemployedand its history was characterized by internal fighting among interest groups and inconsistent policies. From his own experience as a fireman, he also knew the job was a hard and dangerous onesometimes even deadlyand he thought there should be rules established to ensure each fireman's safety on the job. In Debs: His Life, Writings and Speeches. Although many of his followers had joined the Communist Party, Debs refused to do so because he opposed the Soviet system and its suppression of free speech. He ran for the last time as the Socialist presidential candidate while in prison, receiving nearly a million votes, more actual votes (but a smaller percentage of the total) than in 1912. Writings and Speeches of Eugene Debs. "Debs, Eugene Victor The extreme poverty of the city's working class made a strong impression on him and was one of the factors that led him to become an advocate for the rights of the nation's laborers. Encyclopedia.com. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Eugene Debs. But as he grew older, he saw the brutal treatment employees suffered because of the tremendous push to increase profits. The Democratic Party candidate was Princeton University president Woodrow Wilson, who edged out both Taft and Roosevelt to win the White House. He used these skills to aid for formation of unions within railroad workers, and other industries. Encyclopedia of World Biography. THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION He was appointed secretary, beginning a rise through the various offices of the brotherhood that Debs combined with several local and state government positions as well as a job clerking for a wholesale grocery house. One of the most important pieces of legislation during Wilson's first term was the Clayton Anti-Trust Act. 39 Copy quote. The public as a whole had little sympathy for the striking workers, particularly since the country was still recovering from the economic slump. "Your Honor, years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth," he said, according to the SoJust.net: A Document History of Social Justice Web site. Edited by James Andrews and David Zarefsky. The business prospered, providing modest comfort for the family. Eugene V. Debs was president of the newly established American Railway Union when it won national prominence by conducting a successful strike against the Great Northern Railway Company in April 1894. Encyclopedia.com. American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. This was his fourth of five runs for the presidency, and the one in which he was most successful, gaining 6% of the national popular vote, but carrying no states and securing zero electoral votes. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/debs-eugene-v, John Whiteclay Chambers II "Debs, Eugene V. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"4.vy.XRoJay3mWo6UQ9aWNrOeUwMWCibsEUO7bgTJjw-86400-0"}; . (Photo by International News Photos via the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection, public domain) The current president, Republican William Howard Taft (18571930; served 190913), was challenged by former president Theodore Roosevelt (18581919; served 190109) and his newly formed Progressive Party. For the next 30 years Debs was the leading spokesmen for democratic socialism to millions of U.S. citizens. It was a loving union that was to last until Debs's death. Baker also spent fourteen years researching and writing a biography of President Woodrow Wilson (18561924; served 191321). His case became a rallying point for those who believed he should be freed as a matter of freedom of speech. Debs was also losing faith in the BLF. Soon Chvez's NFWA merged with another group to become the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC). Ira Kipnis, The American Socialist Movement, 1897-1912 (1952), and David A. Shannon, The Socialist Party of America (1955), are invaluable sources on the Socialist party. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1982. debs advocated abolition of child labor, the right of women to vote, unemployment compensation, and a graduated income tax. Debs in fact only mentioned the war once, but under this repressive new law, was sentenced to ten years in a federal penitentiary. Thug, Labour Movement, Political. "[W]hile the overwhelming majority of the people here are opposed to the social and economic theories of Mr. Debs," wrote the mayor of Terre Haute, Debs hometown, in 1907, "there is not perhaps a single man in this city who enjoys to a greater degree than Mr. Debs the affection, love, and profound respect of the entire community.". He participated in the establishment of the Social Democratic party in 1898 and its successor, the Socialist Party of America, in 1901. Once he decided to help a needy young man find work, however, he was surprised to find that, even with every possible effort being made, there was not a job to be found. He became a railroad fireman in 1870 and . "Eugene Victor Debs ." Debs is remembered as the most viable Socialist candidate for the nation's highest office and as a champion of workers' rights. Under the terms of the boycott, ARU members refused to handle Pullman railroad cars anywhere in the nation. He emerged from jail a national figure, a hero of the American Left, and a Socialist, though he initially resisted associating himself with that label. Progressive Magazine, January 1999. (July 25, 2023). Early Life. Debs was dedicated to the socialist cause and worked hard to spread its principles throughout . Socialism. "Debs, Eugene Victor Feeling as though he was wrongfully charged based on the right to free . But it also gave Debs a broader popular appeal than any other American Socialist could muster, and his personal charisma and persuasiveness before an audience were second to no other American politician of any stripe. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1855, Eugene Debs was throughout his lifetime the nation's most widely known and eloquent exponent of a socialist alternative to American capitalism. His parents, Jean Daniel and Marguerite Marie Bettrich Debs, both immigrated to the United States from Colmar, in the Alsace region of France. Daniel and Marguerite arrived in New York City with little money and were quickly married. googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; Outspoken leader of the labor movement, Eugene Debs opposed Woodrow Wilsonas the Socialist Party candidate in the 1912 Presidential Election. The tide turned against the American Socialist Party due, in part, to its strong opposition to U.S. involvement in the conflict on any level. The labor movement was just beginning to emerge as a significant force during the 1880s, and Debs was shocked at how quickly company management moved to fire, blacklist, or even physically harm workers who demanded fair wages and a reduction in hours to an eight-hour day. railroad cars nationally. Enlarge Eugene Debs delivers his famous antiwar speech at Canton, Ohio, June 16, 1918. After the Pullman Palace Car Company, led by George M. Pullman, cut the wages of its workers by 25 percent (in response to . Carey, Charles W., Jr. Eugene V. Debs: Outspoken Labor Leader and Socialist. Eugene Victor Debs (November 5, 1855 - October 20, 1926) . Pullman Sleeping Car Company went on strike in 1894. known as someone who had selflessly committed himself to helping others. ." In 1897, as populism fell apart, Debs turned to outright socialism, declaring The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism. New York: Hermitage Press, 1948. In the aftermath Debs, who was indicted and jailed for his role in the strike, became both famous and infamous as a national labor hero. When he felt the labor movement had failed, he attempted to lead an independent political party that would support American workers. His union took a militant stance, however, refusing to move Pullman On the day of Debs's release, the warden let every inmate out of his cell, an extraordinary act, so that the two thousand prisoners could gather in the main building and say their farewells to Debs. Zinn, Howard. Between 1861 and 1865, George Pullman (18311897) had created a thriving industry with his line of luxury sleeper and dining cars for trains. Labor discontent and the severe national depression beginning in 1893 swelled the union's ranks. Courtesy: Library of Congress Outspoken leader of the labor movement, Eugene Debs opposed . . votes cast. Though he failed to win a large percentage of the vote on election day, the number of people who voted for him was substantial, ranging from 96,000 in 1900 to 915,000 in 1920. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Though he was no longer a fireman, he was able to join the city's Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. The organization began to fall out of favor with the public during the first few years of World War I (191418), a conflict in which Great Britain, France, the United States, and their allies defeated Germany, Austria-Hungary, and their allies. Conditions in Chicago became even more desperate in 1893 when an economic slump left millions unemployed. Jean had received an excellent education as a young man, even studying in Paris, France, for a time, and passed on his love of literature to Eugene and his younger brother Theodore. At age 14, Eugene V. Debs began working in a railroad shop, later becoming a locomotive fireman. Salvatore, Nick. Sometimes they would work for weeks, but were cheated out of their pay at the end of the season by dishonest bosses. Though the group was called a union, it was more of a charitable association. The current president, Democrat Woodrow Wilson (18561924; served 191321), won the White House again that year. Encyclopedia.com. He knew that the workers were barely able to survive on the wages they were receiving from their employers and had no power to negotiate. Since his earliest years, Debs had been an easygoing, well-liked student, and his early success in social settings carried over into his roles as co-worker and then Brotherhood member. radical artisans and industrial workers Its cities were dominated by factories, whose workers were mostly new arrivals from various European countries. He died in 1926, still espousing his socialist beliefs. The Gi, The ranks of organized labor expanded enormously over the course of the Great Depression. Eugene V. Debs Foundation. American Railway, one of the new industriai unions open to both skilled and unskilled workers (though not to blacks) gained national prominence within the year when it won an important victory over the Great Northern Railroad; membership quickly swelled to more than 150,000. Retrieved July 25, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/debs-eugene-v-1855-1926. 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