SOME PERSONAL GLIMPSES OF DEBS
FEIGENBAUM, WM. M.
Some Personal Glimses of Debs By Wm. M. Fcigenbaum Mjer HE light has gone out of many .» lives with tb* psaatpa; of Eaasm V» V. Debs. Head*, are bowed, eye* ;'«re brimming with tears, voices...
...But if we feu solemn Deba did not...
...The mtulaiwai wag* in tha union shop* la tit and an '•-boar day pre valla...
...AUH...
...W« »n bavo nothing to* .do vrlfh.itbxt...
...People, said at the same meeting that this was tbo 'usual thing" in time of strike...
...Kramer, on< of the booses of KraSaer and Brieve, » Bant Houston street, who sgid be san the nvea enter hia, factory Sunaay October 10, and break up box**.' MondSy'the officers reported...
...am as chipper as a young goat on a US roof," he used to say...
...jt la hagfl ti...
...But be never complained: te never-asked for treatment different rem the^cHhar prisoners...
...The fad t^at Kramer could not identify the man who be saht worked for htm and nag broken into bis sbop causes the anion tb believe that the Manufacturers* Association tipped hhn off to "get" tbe official* of the union...
...It was in May, 1920, that.I first visited him in Jail, tbe Atlanta pehltsntiary, to which he had been moved I waa with t*e eommlttec that notified him of his nomination for -president and I felt that we were going to * funeral when we stepped into the office of the warden...
...Who!* generations af...
...wire learlng - tjio Soejaliat party- to;tatters...
...ur§itttflu3i6rtka( in their satiafaction Behofdjthei&tfktes...
...When Debs spoke in public he spoke exactly a* be felt la private...
...He declared that one manufacturer on Wooeter street had been seen distributing the circulars in person...
...The demands of tbe union are very modest when compared with the conditions which other unions have obtained tor their workers In recent agreements...
...Thˆ shifting jsaud^hereon they o>iM their «o*e» And all the landU prosperity...
...Debs apjj his campaign cammltteo mWinr.il jail We eat tbrc-Ugb five sessiona'ani...
...t Moundsvilm prtsop,' ^e*t Virginia, cbinged behind biffi...
...left my ciUsaruthip In Atlanta, but j rl^isgbt .nry..Wfr*awp*ot-^wtth me...
...Dying, informed- and with love the idea, You live more truly than the bloated men Whose bowels attest they own the Jweoiy world Who, never looking to the common- call • Qf misery, and hitman brotherhood: Shall never know that they have xvalked in death Throughout their days...
...Yanrorofher Jes%s uted svfcu "esr'jyftt, he o» the apktU cross, CJ _ , * You broken through prison and the weary years...
...him, which warn hatred, denunciation, savage persecution and finally a cruel and unjust prison term that undermined hi« 'health aad ultimately ended his lite, & 1 am not here telling the story of J>ebs' life...
...I know that that was not bluff and bombast, as such a speech might be on the lips of ;ene leas sincere than he...
...A**-iV$*,'S~& tot do,-h*.eaidv An*h*^"4ld'J***sjgA i>d his»m*n*lne»s meant aoysrV.-fS^inJ son tha .ot conilnsment...
...Krajnei and...
...in t^he future' wai Ss»tiy.'«t*.-adnilt, tbs/t he Agd...
...aaoTess...
...anointed, oHj can see * No needwojid:^ When'each diiierted spirit Knowk^&/i£fa£<t*dliuM^ What ¦ f^.fo?um&~tn*vgwt so make then see...
...rty, .thenattorney ^eoergl...
...It is Utterly, cruelly hard to realise that he Js gone...
...Tbe wrinkles are all outside...
...late niayj tsartge trleka da u...
...Good night, sweet aonl...
...I How tb* police are being used tq serve tbe interests of the employers, is clearly shown by tb* following statement mad* in a oalletin of the Paper Box Manufacturers » Association: "The police work is becoming mare-aad more effective dally...
...eth living on in-lovt...
...The halt was aq'tually - Jammed to the dob^s...
...I ie« no "reaewn 'for me to be anythtng sise now...
...Your heaven, brother, that you...
...left prison...
...But above' all, his other qualities towteed character...
...Foj a youth who at that time was loofctns towards a. political career that act toot superb courage...
...aUr borltlce were afraid that their dtetin, ;ulahed prisoner would 4"* on tbaji «mds...
...In private He bis real greatness came out, among las friends and' comrades beXar* whom it was not necessary to be>on asmde...
...but tb* rank* of tb* atrikrjg as* sirosger- today then when tb* atrikjs began and each dag, briagB the pettrement of more open shops...
...oeot^a^Mh* sfsmsnb, So mixed in him...
...iujaln in my giind the cheering throagt that av*a«*d' bun when 1- first hear...
...to allow him to talk, would* encouragt others to tstlky ajid the .^overnmein wanted to ipatntain tpe...
...It waa in June that some Smateul "patriot" tdpk in...
...Csioia Spikes Charges . ; Fred Calola...
...thgt tlramss rno-was so eager to have D**» premiss <? obey the- law was HAjry Ml Daugh...
...A few months ago I saw a headline over a newspaper picture that read, •Debs learning the Charleston...
...y v .It' is inieresttnr &9o\m...
...lofal papers win flil up afiV ball to hear a. 'Sociallet-' speech tbeae.days, we can ha^ve the best fneetlagp we've ever} bad.7 srtd;Abe Kblmaf, one of tbr Comrades who...
...SWhile there A idwer c'buss.i am of it- 'Wbgifc theri Is_».boti1 io prison I am not free...
...It our...
...Hb messages, which.I was to send out tc the countrly, were clear, cogent, to the point...
...He bounded intt the office, embraced each one of • us bad a word of genUe affection for eact of .us, laughed, Joked, sang—it was si If we w*r* iutvlugr a partyfin.j*^.;./ It was a strange aight...
...he 'said tha^jsr Was net i leader, 'if I cotpd i««d the workers out of the wllderneBB," be said, "abnieixidy else c«uld: lead them' back again...
...to havt> charge of tlw publicity and it y/aa one of the best aaatgnmenUT have aver: bad- Deba wnj a. good man to work...
...Organizer Caprturo, chairman of th« meeting, and Albert Welsbord, speaker, turned the arrest 'into a : powerful means of arousing tbe workers' solidarity and determination...
...When ho said that he was young at ' heart he meant every word of what he said...
...r Hia life was...
...IH meant it when...
...Del>a meant it with every fiber of lilt being wberi.he said...
...kw' itrbajg' . -*"% Millions must suffer that a few ryjoyt . Love is a tight bestowed Xifhen the tnitid Cannot reach out to take all humankind And knotv each burdened woman iiud toiling man Is bound in one embracing, human-span That falls or lifts togetlicr...
...It waa in.: prison that Il*bs» beaitb >roke down...
...Pickens praised tbe union for adbnittlng Negroes Into tbe union withlout discrimination and do»^ared that f*the cement, of labor is better thai any consideration of race or language.' The union also holds tbe Manufacturers' Association responsible foi framing up the arrest or Manager Calola during the big Cooper Union meeting: but Saturday...
...They waited until Saturday to pull off the stunt in the hope of demoralising the'strikers Just before the Monday morning picketing...
...A grand man is never old...
...Ulan, uearly a quarter of' a century ago and to whom he' responded with hit Whatv aad smile...
...In 1918 Debs made a spesjeh.at Canton, Ohio, in -which he took the Socialist position In apposition t« ths-war it is'known that for...
...Th* usual number of wagons are working In and out of the-'hotbed section' with the proper police protection (a 'cop' for every chauffeur)' end more plants are operating as open shops with part forces...
...they have the nerve to sign them T" be 4aked...
...Scores ot times 1 beard him say, "I am not a grand old man...
...And I know tket his greatness was not a mantle jot on tor show, but as real' and gen aiae as tbe man himself...
...In Brooklyn particularly, glrts work from $ a. m. to f p. m. for ft aad tt» a week, with only a halfhour for lunch...
...The Industry is lass than, bait organlx*d fit tb* city, and tha nnlsa to oat to organise the other half...
...The officers of the union have every reason to, believe that this association Was responsible for anonymous leaflets Issued to strikers last week...
...Iswldautallyji, a minimum **«sJ* °f -^agas as^ increase % tbe weeaty 1 at*Tjse^r*c»osiHtten ot the Union—theespare tbo demands which the employers refuse to grant...
...tr ^/a'^SociaMsVv said w^th limple, nvaaly' iligunr...
...a long /time"- th« authorities .were wondering ..what to d< with the troubleeome iellcw...
...He couidna be gagged...
...i heard "the brutal guards who treat the • convicts like cattle, rbepectfally snd-r*v«r*nt^•**• m-eas...
...breaks itself...
...Utelr beet known cbarn»Mut ;*M»i Debr...
...And ours, to share...
...helped arrange the Syracuse, meet in g. N. Y. BOX MAKERS RANKS HOLD FAST Attempt to Frame Up Caioh, Strike Leader, Defeated By Roland A. Gibson FOUR tboueand paper bex makers b*v* been on strike In New Torlj v. City for two veeeka...
...qi*:lMu^pu| B*ech*s.A h»ve_ heged .hjm njgkg, big aliant courage, btamodesty, Mepritt* ^abijtt^b...
...Jlla writings were brilliant, lucid, clear, spark' ling...
...JOSEPH T. SHIPLEY...
...Debs was tb* sweetest and noblest pad I have ever, known...
...That la done jn another column by Comrade McAttster .Coleman...
...where it %votdd be Mcfst helpfid^btings most hurt...
...other industries...
...hta son were there...
...There in nothing that I ens do, for "you, there is nothing th»f you csni«tt do for - ye urselvea ;"• that 'aumg v/Ji . the wholo v>«!o«ophy-Qf Hia life, " Iiremetaber wfa'eU^bg.vr^;la^rulori i "ninn who has eiuce\ gone' *fffcl} the (jomnjiijjlsta- v,h6'hid^i^b wltb-^u* tried to get him tangled ^up In a» dlajUssion • on tbe queatmns >• that...
...that tbe deep brooding eyes, the aad, sad smile were pictures of the latter soul of the 'man, one of the greatest.that our movement and our country has produced...
...You ought to be ashamed of yourself," I wrote, "at your age, too...
...SYRACUSE COURT HOUSE JAMMED TO THE DOORS TO HEAR JUDGE PANKEN ;.By a New LeaderrCerireapsndaot j . Syracuse.—For the .first, time In almost a "decade Bytacvise packed th« courthouse hare;ia*t week to bear a Socialist...
...A vf-hour week, time and a half for, overtime, doubt* time for Sunday work (which IS contrary to state law...
...Is the motto og the employers, he sajfc ?•That's what tbey'v* don* witb^p colored workers, but now both white end colored workers are coming to [realise that only through solidarity tarn, the interests of both be advanced...
...iSttJ^vMeal doer...
...To Jail him would'mean to arouse.the bitterest opposition...
...Tean of "tpbl|«3co>^er;onii of-the boys here in prison...
...Hl» heart gave xxut, and' the...
...Socialists have grown lip under juts* leadership and who never knew' sky other leadership than his...
...That may come later...
...I .am not a 3emmunbu...
...The employers bar* been tempting their workers ata— th* strike with offer* of »ll and fiW a week...
...Calola pointed to tbe anonymity ot ike circulars as proof of their falsehood...
...klr...
...1 have been a -gocialiat ilnce the founding of our party...
...Set ana group of worker* aa^daat another...
...That was the time that unity, solidarity, comradeihfp were most needed...
...br*fc*i he law ^iatbe^pagt...
...When ~th* general strike was anirounosd tb begin October 5. the three emplsryery ssannlatiiiiis having' Jurlsdictioo over different-branchee of tbe ipb^ser box 'Industry got worried...
...For blind hve...
...There are none oil my heart...
...J could tell of his remarkable influence fn the...
...Brother, you— Bringing us love informed with an idea— You have fashioned the plough-share which we note must hold Until the rock soU be rich with love...
...This w*a • it icfo" g*od--b>e- .'vsijl: bfe like thai lauati|*drtn Hamlet\by hU friend: ¦"ifbw cr*5bs a 1 noble 'heart...
...J0O .more a* oitizen.: oi . t he Un 11 *< etatta...
...But the cap-, tion amused me, and I sent it to 'Oene...
...It ia bard to think of tb* world without Debs: it: win be' a" long time before a tall realisation of our Ices, ver fifty years and mora Dab* baa gtren everything In him to the labor .' ssrrement...
...th* nonunion shepa...
...if -tbe Socialist1 party were :o -accept • the . terms laid .down .by Leain It would ruin oik party...
...I cool igjl up wool* books with Stories of iSebs* courage, his cheerfulness, hi* manliness, in...
...Why a ajj&and why tin roof I never found *j§£but that was his story aad be dJaST t* M. * - - — a. j:'Dibs' greatest characteristic was his Mobility of character...
...They made good copy...
...William Pickens, field secretary *f the National Association tor tbe Advancement of Colored...
...It ws_s a dedge that he would' promise to obei he btw...
...Tbe exact opposite - happened...
...His work j* dam . " f.* , Who harvests, lw4 tin earth...
...A young feller like me," he wrote •as*, "wouldn't do anything so quiet and staid as the Charleston...
...They had to give-blm dlgitkiis o .athnulate' the action of his heart...
...The upshot pf the affair was that tbe police released tb* three "suspects" unconJilionany Monday noon...
...several rot>nths.'he vaa confined-In the stesrhftur;Bsutb*jul ilty fourteen hours a' day in%a ;narn}a -ell...
...I know that be-felt that-way...
...i Bjm "adt'lisn ot the world.' . B*Ha»*Do...
...that "Nature aaifbi :.• Stsad m*/V...
...He bubbled with humor...
...iVot Urns ideal...
...Tbe 'response to si meeting calTed- to bear '¦ Jedge Jaco^l Pajnken, Socialist candlijate for Qov'r e'mor, exceeded the expeftatioaa of the tnpst hQpefyl Sociajlsti...
...if...
...Why didn't...
...fiction of -a united nation in the prosecution.of fth« war...
...For SI year* every breath se has drawn has been for tb* 80eaulst movement...
...Anyone who has attended tb* strike ..meetings 'know that the strut* is being intelligently and-mat' taatly conducted, which is a vary logical reason for the employers* resorting to such tactics...
...I am too overwhelmed by ¦Sorrow, too broken with grief to arrange a 'formal biographical sketch...
...Ao this moment 1 bare time and room only for one instance of his courage And his manmess, for Incidents that show the manhat of a man he was...
...That'.was the time that the "revolutionists,'' those who found the Socialist party too tame for them, we're-working hand in.band) with agents provocateurs, spies, and itool pigeons in a:' deliberate attempt :o destroy the party...
...years...
...Even as a boy, ween woman suffrage was the howling Moot the country, when a suffragist wauamsooned and Jeered at and made tksfrutt of coarse and brutal ridicule Dais not only espoused suffrage but *arf he invited Elisabeth Cady StanteSfthe great pioneer suffragist, to his town and sponsored, her meeting...
...My mibd angea oyer the...
...prison...
...I saw the Mspectt .tb*' admiration, thl Wq-thai his ke»nexs, hie warden, hia-feVQw,-c«£ vlcts held him in, I heard the iiac^ls any that be' Was .a great moral, taflu'pneo in that n,e6tgpf tbieyep, dope pad...
...Lave that is fruit Aad water, flfiapran, must, feed and spring frame earth of thought This toorld ypu jpew, what pUsee^fpr thought' Ruptoittt wiibin its turmoilP Where the fosmtts V-I Of men begjype another dorm,' &id-fton'<r is claimed' By...
...a Deba meeting, tov*> down hia speech, steiiogriyjhicairy and reported to'the authorities...
...I beard hiss .beg aa' a i^rjioj* twt'ot' far - tL...
...The, •Deba" referred to, of coarse, were ; young girls, debutantes...
...gave he authorities courage to' feel that vith the party so disrupted ,ahd ao >usy with its dissentions there coold >e no effective protest against the baling of Deba, And so it was...
...And those wbo . knew him e*D know that bis amasihg beauty of fmeter, his gentleness, hia love tor mankind were real, were part of jan...
...He aalfi hat be bgd broken no 'law;, that »»« vas no law-breaker, and that to i?rirtns* to obey tha law...
...An old man cannot be grand...
...Vet...
...yourself and gjste yokrself -*«:1acr, ta foimt the teen end breathe the Jraiei trust Tact grvtos jajatfoiaers resistless* Mates Jestetv 'SfKhj^.tutdJonginfr <tt y6»r heart has held...
...Tha struggle pa* been characterised ay the usual •poll** tatbattdarioa' and employers' tr*me-upe...
...That wai the :ime that tim- deliberate splitting of be party by' the, madmen who spokWi n the name of the "revolution...
...wind dureJia ..usuu...
...manager ot the union, spiked tbe false charges printed in tbe leaflet at a big mass meeting of tbe workers in tbe Church of All nations on October IS...
...From his very earliest Bfe he placed principle above self,, and be served his principles regardless oi the rewards they won for...
...tfuike itho cotne unto the Premised Land, - Breathed Moses* Irving fire...
...dlers, .murderers, ..and other, scum ot the eja'rth...
...About if shops bar* already settled with tbe union mt its-terras, tb* msvJoW feialsrV ossarstiag opeei shop...
...took-UP the olana of the campaign My task was...
...Three detective* came there and in formed Calolo tha' he' wa* charged with burglary ant must go with - them to the Meroei Street police station...
...Head*, are bowed, eye* ;'«re brimming with tears, voices break] 'with emotion wherever men and worn' m rather and talk about tbe nob]* soul "^•st has just left ua...
...Give me something really lively, and ru do it...
...Comrades InJpearby tewne realised bow'orily, a t»v^ notices in the...
...And say te ail the vfor4(l...
...a**W»-SajbBUj*&^.'T^ S-- 5iai>>i ~££*t To be...
...I hear .again hiUyold las,- he fiun* his challenrp to the world [when he,- told how...
...andjsdjuja of Comia^if^'^fa^^-re^f...
...The leaflets purported to come "from dissatisfied unioB workers, and criticised tbe leader* %t tb* union for their conduct of th* strike...
...They ask areenbers was th* man they wanted but failed to identify him, although he waa -there wltrT Calolo...
...Conditions In tbe paper box industry are worse la New- Task than ia most...
...But there are mUllora V.sose- lives are &e«ersJr»r his navln| ttved.' wjb '*v4», ^kd^b^ri *ur tearj and . hofd our heads-h*1gh Mr baria) known nfn...
...But - whan, in pr ieon he- was given a tecijment to sign a* a preUmmsry to «lng reJeased.be refaaed...
...Tnt wo.* something that the 1|V officers :at tfit country 'couldn't, ignore when ^;Wnj called to their attention, and Debs yrm indicted, tried, sentenced and Jailed: The appeals, took until' the spring oi 1918 and on April...
...I* has nevsr been 'the same, man since...
...He waa a glorious orator, a very excellent writer, % remarkable trade union ¦ organiser...
...It ia cruelly hard for me te write, crushed as 1 am by tbe loss ' g>ne whom I loved as an older brothejfc whom I followed as- a leader, aafprad as A thinker and worshipped a* as inspiration...
...Their hell is that they are...
...vi^ tbai...
...When he reached there be was released on conditioi that he would report Monday noes jvith Al Qreenberg, president of tbx union, and' Joseph' Dlminio, delegate to be" Identified by Mr...
...If h*.* weir* released...
...I have known Wbs.and ailmlred Wm ajsd loJ»*d hlnr fy...
...w*s";.t$at pijjk&'Vgiik">»n\tT wai asbs' death warrant.' He never recovred from it...
...Some have fallen forth* bluff, bat more and more are decoding to tb* offers of tb* union pickets instead...
...prison and under other trying circurneteiiebs...
...Deba waa hugely tickled...
...They decided te merge into one association for tbe duration of the strike and put forth a united and determined effort to crush "tbe onion.' Tbe Paper Box Mantaf acturera* Association was tbe result...
Vol. 3 • October 1926 • No. 41
