Basic information
Eugene V Debs was born on the 5th of November,1855 in Terre Haute Indiana. Debs was a charismatic man with great skills for public speaking, organizing, and funding. He used these skills to aid for formation of unions within railroad workers, and other industries. Debs is famously known for running for presidential sit while serving jail time in Woodstock prison in Illinoi, and for organizing the Pullman strike; one of the biggest workers strikes in the US history (Freeberg & Freeberg, 2008). Throughout his life, Debs was in, and out of jail for his involvement with workers strike, and socialist radical ideas.
Background information
Eugene V. Debs was born to migrant parents from Alsace France, Jean, and Marguerite Debs. His parents moved to Indiana thereafter arriving in the US. At the age of 14, he took a job at Terre Haute railroad company, scrapping grease, and paint off locomotives. In his biography, Debs states that his mother was always worried about him working on the locomotive. When a new grocery store opened in his neighborhood, he took a job there as a clerk. He worked there for some time until when he was elected to be a clerk for the city. He later left the clerk job to join The Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, labor unions, and other organizations where he took care of all affairs regarding organizing, and funding (Debs & Rogers, 1910).
In 1885, he was elected to the Indiana legislature, but his desire to serve the public did not interfere with his position at Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (Constantine, 1991). He was a beloved man to those he led. After many years working for the Brotherhood, he tried to resign from the organization, but his peers denied his resignation; they instead voted for him unanimously (Debs & Rogers, 1910).
Following a disagreement with The Brotherhood organization, Debs and a few others started The American Railway Union (A.R.U). He drew a salary of $75 but later refused to have any dues paid to him. He did this because of his upbring of shunning greediness. He believed with too much wealth acquire at the expense of working class wasn’t the right thing for any human being to do (Debs, 1918).
Contribution to the first wave
Eugene V. Debs contributed to women suffrage movement through his works in labor movements, and unionization of workers to counter what he deemed as mistreatment from capitalist market. He fought for both men and women to have better wages and pensions (Cain, 2019, Freeberg & Freeberg, 2008). His work was particularly hard because he was fighting with an industry that had no regulations. The railroad industry just like the garment industry employed a lot of women. However, the industry was marred with hazardous working conditions, low wages, and no pension at retirement (Buhle,2020,Cain 2019). He mobilized for workers in all industries to form unions. He believed it was only through unions could workers find strength to ask for better pay and working conditions.
The year 1917, Debs published an article in Pearson’s Magazine titled Susan B. Anthony: Pioneer of Freedom. He praised Anthony for her courageous will of bringing women rights to the public. Debs had always claimed to have favored suffrage; he strongly believed that women should be able to vote (Debs, n.d.). His thoughts were heavily influenced by his Socialist Ideas. In the article, Debs writes that Anthony jokily asked him to support suffrage, and to which women will reciprocate by giving him Socialism. His answer to Anthony is that women should give him socialism, and he will give them suffrage. In his court sentencing, he took an opportunity to lament to the judge on how the courts had mistreated women by handing them sentences that were not according to the law for picketing for their rights. He urged the people present in the court to consider that women and girls working in the garment industries were being abused for their labor; and he worried young girls working in industries wouldn’t have a chance at marriage because they would already be tired from the long working hours (Debs, 1918; Debs & Rogers, 1910). In front of the court audience Debs stated that he had great respect for women, and how he will personally apologize for every woman he met on the streets for being a man (Debs, 1918).
Much like other men, and women of his time who fought for liberation, whether from slavery, or the right to vote; he faced many challenges as both a family man, and supporter of labor movement. Throughout the course of Debs struggle to free the country from capitalism , he contributed greatly to the socialism movement and unionization (Huberman, 2003). Much like women in the suffrage movement, Debs was constantly arrested. During Debs sentencing for breaking US espionage act, he gave a speech to the court, he noted that the gap between the wealthy and the working class had widened more than ever before. Corporations had doubled and controlled a huge percent of the nation’s economy. He believed the country’s economy and wealth was controlled by few individuals. Those individuals were supported by the capitalist market that was powered by the poor working men, women, and children. He described the system as that of slavery and the biggest sin another human can do the other. Through capitalism, rich individuals lived in palaces, were able to buy justice by paying courts and congressmen (Cain, 2019, Debs & Rogers, 1910). The working class had no ways to defend themselves from this manipulation; but unionizing was the last bullet to make sure workers got better pay and working conditions.
The issue is socialism vs capitalism. I am for socialism because I am for humanity. We have been cursed with the reign of gold long enough. Money constitutes no proper basis of civilization. The time has come to regenerate society we are on the eve of universal change.
~Eugene V Debs (Debs & Rogers, 1910)
Analysis and conclusion
Eugene Debs was very important in helping women suffrage movement in the first wave. A passionate and active Socialist, he helped contribute to the workers strikes to protest for better wages and working conditions. He was known for his charisma; he had the ability to talk to any human being no matter their level of English or education (Debs & Rogers, 1910). However, his ideas were radical and a threat to the US government. He accepted when he violated the law as we observed from his speech during his sentencing for breaking the government espionage act. Despite the government silencing him, he was not afraid to point out the courts were wrong for deeming women and sentencing women by making up laws. and avoiding giving working-class justice( Buhle, 2020; Cain, 2019; Huberman, 2003).
Reference
Buhle, P. (2020). The Selected Works of Eugene V. Debs, Vol. 1: Building Solidarity on the Tracks, 1877–1892 ed. by Tim Davenport and David Walters. Labor, 17(1), 142–143. https://doi.org/10.1215/15476715-7962925
Cain, W. E. (2019). The End of Capitalism: Eugene V. Debs and the Argument for Socialism in America. Society, 56(5), 466–481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-019-00401-5
Debs, E. V. (n.d.). Susan B. Anthony: Pioneer of Freedom. 10.
Debs, E. V. (1918). Eugene V. Debs and Jesus of Nazareth. Winnipeg Labor Church. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100300243
Debs, E. V. (1995). Gentle Rebel: Letters of Eugene V. Debs. University of Illinois Press.
Debs, E. V., & Rogers, B. (1910). Debs: His life, writings and speeches, with a department of appreciations … C.H. Kerr intron. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009808089
Freeberg, E., & Freeberg, D. P. of the H. E. (2008). Democracy’s Prisoner: Eugene V. Debs, the Great War, and the Right to Dissent. Harvard University Press.
Huberman, L. (2003). The Debs way. Monthly Review, 55(5), 38–45.