EUGENE VICTOR DEBS (1855-1926) was one of the greatest and most articulate advocates of workers’ power to have ever lived. 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. He left home at 14 to work on the railroad and soon became interested in union activity. As president of the American Railway Union, he led a successful strike against the Great Northern Railroad in 1894. Two months later he was jailed for his role in a strike against the Chicago Pullman Palace Car Company. While in jail, Socialist and future Congressman Victor Berger talked with Debs and introduced him to the ideas of Marx and socialism. When he was released from prison, he announced that he was a Socialist.

He soon formed the Social Democratic Party, which eventually became the Socialist Party in 1901. He became their perennial presidential candidate. He ran on the Socialist ticket in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920 when he received his highest popular vote—about 915,000 (3.4%)—from within a prison cell. He had been arrested once again, this time for “sedition”; because he opposed World War I. Many Socialists were imprisoned during this time because they felt that the war was being fought for the profits of the rich, but with the blood of the poor. Debs was fortunately released in 1921.

Debs died in Elmhurst, Illinois, on October 20, 1926, but he is remembered to this day by countless labor activists from all over the political spectrum. The Eugene V. Debs Foundation works to continue his legacy into the 21st century...

To learn more about Debs and his life, read Stephen Marion Reynolds’ Biography of Eugene V. Debs for a full accounting of his life and times.

Biographies, Critiques, Criticisms, Sketches, Autobiographies, Obituaries and Memoirs of Eugene V. Debs iww

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  • Mokey [none/use name]
    ·
    1 year ago

    It dawned on me that the funniest conclusion to the presidential election is that trump loses again

    • daisy
      ·
      1 year ago

      I think that's the second funniest conclusion. The funniest would be Clinton running again, and losing again to Trump.

      • AlpineSteakHouse [any]
        ·
        1 year ago

        I would unironically die laughing.

        It would never happen but maybe Hillary gets the VP or other cabinet position and Trump makes it into 2016 again.

      • edge [he/him]
        ·
        1 year ago

        I think that's impossible for a Biden victory. The closest he can get without flipping a state like NC, Ohio, or Iowa is 304.

        Trump could still achieve that though, if he manages to retake Georgia, the Midwest, and Arizona. Making a map near identical to 2016 except without one of NE-2 or ME-2. This would be an objectively funny result.

        Edit: This is the best I could do for Biden. It involves flipping NC and Iowa (basically impossible) while also losing Pennsylvania somehow.