Debs, Eugene Victor

(1855–1926)

   Born in Indiana in the United States, Debs is one of the most significant and well-known American socialists. He was an organizer and leader of various labor organizations and stood as a socialist candidate for the U.S. presidency five times. Initially his activism was in the labor movement, notably as grand secretary and treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen from 1880 to 1893, and from 1893 to 1897 as organizer and president of the American Railways Union. With the latter he was involved in two major strikes, successfully in 1894 against the Great Northern Railroad, but unsuccessfully later on that year against the Pullman Palace Car Company. The Pullman strike saw Debs imprisoned for six months for conspiring to interfere with the passage of federal mail. While in jail he was introduced to socialism via the visits of American Socialist editor Victor Berger, and through his readings of socialist authors including Karl Kautsky and Karl Marx. In 1896 Debs joined the Socialist Brotherhood of Cooperative Commonwealths, and in June 1897 was instrumental in the forming of the Social Democratic Party of America (SDPA). The party demanded nationalization of monopolies, public works for the unemployed, and an eight-hour working day. In 1901 the SDPA merged with other socialist groups to form the Socialist Party of America (SPA). Debs stood as presidential candidate for the SDPA in 1900, and for the SPAin 1904, 1908, 1912 and 1920, gaining close to a million votes in the 1920 election. Debs also played an important role in the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1905, but left in 1908 due to policy disputes. In addition, his political views gained him a further jail sentence in 1918 for a speech expressing his pacifist-inspired opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I that was deemed to be a violation of the Espionage Act. He served three years of a 10-year sentence before being pardoned by President Warren G. Harding in 1921. He spent the remaining years of his life lecturing and promoting the SPA.

   Debs was influenced by Marxism and its criticisms of capitalism. He believed in the necessity of overthrowing capitalism and its replacement by communism. He criticized Marxism for failing to pay attention to the project of constructing a socialist society, and put forward ideas for a socialist state to be created in the west of the United States. This showcase for socialism would be based on common ownership of the means of production and distribution according to need, and would demonstrate the superiority of socialism, thus winning workers over to the socialist cause. Debs was also a great advocate of education for the workers as the key element, along with organization, in the emancipation of the working class.