Thomas J. O’Flaherty, at this time a leading columnist for The Daily Worker, reports on Eugene Debs’ Indiana funeral in 1926 which he attended with a Chicago delegation of the International Labor Defense with Communist comrades who felt, like so many, genuine grief at the passing of the singular ‘Gene.’ A familiar theme of our movement’s Lessers making Lambs out of Lions of revolutionaries on their deaths is observed.

‘Thousands of Workers Gather At ’Gene Debs’ Bier To Pay Last Tribute To Labor’s Champion’ by T.J. O’Flaherty from The Daily Worker. Vol. 3 No. 242. October 26, 1926.

Thousands of workers representing every race under the sun, gathered in Terre Haute, Indiana, last Saturday to pay a last tribute to ’Gene Debs, the beloved working class leader, and as fearless a fighter for labor as the American labor movement ever produced.

They came on trains from distant cities and in trolley from neighboring cars towns. With uncovered heads they stood in a reverential attitude around the modest home where the now silent battler for labor lay cold in death.

Debs Hated Capitalism.

While much has been said of the universal love that Debs Inspired, the audience was composed of workers almost exclusively. The socialist leaders who are now trying to transform the fighting Debs into a puny pacifist, were hot able to convince the capitalists that Debs loved them.

No man in the history of the American labor movement hated the capitalists’ more than did Debs and the capitalists knew it. Despite the efforts of Norman Thomas, Morris Hillquit, Victor Berger and Seymour Stedman, in carefully prepared speeches at the services, to represent Debs as “the perfect lover” the pages of American labor history in which Debs participated have a different story to tell. Debs was “the perfect hater” of capitalism.

Chicago Delegation.

Early on Saturday hundreds of workers began to make their way to Terre Haute. There were delegations from labor organizations. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of Chicago sent a large delegation of 300 on a special train.

On this train there was also a delegation from the International Labor Defense, composed of James P. Cannon, David Rhys Williams, Ralph Chaplin, Rose Karsner, George Maurer, David J. Bentall and Max Shachtman. The special train was under the supervision of Charles Burr of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the arrangements were carried out with precision and efficiency.

Marched from Station.

The Chicago delegation formed in a line at the station and marched two abreast to the Debs home. They viewed the casket which lay in the parlor. Many eyes were dimmed with tears as they filed silently and with bowed heads past the body. It was hard to realise that this was the ‘Gene who electrified hundreds of thousands of workers with his fiery oratory from thousands of platforms thruout his long career in the revolutionary movement. It Is estimated that approximately 5,000 workers viewed the body on Friday evening while 4t lay In state in the Labor Temple. At least as many listened to the speakers at the services on Saturday afternoon.

Speeches Out of Harmony.

Considerable criticism was levelled at the national executive committee of the socialist party for the manner in which the services were conducted.

 The speeches, with the possible exception of William A. Cunnea’s, were entirely out of harmony with the fierce hatred for capitalism that, burned In the heart of Eugene V. Debs. And the committee took care that the name of Soviet Russia would not be heard, the none loved the Workers’ Republic better than did the departed leader.

Ralph Chaplin, a close friend of Debs, and like Debs, an ex-class war prisoner, requested the committee to give Rev. David Rhys Williams, of the I.L.D., permission to say a few words of appreciation of Debs in behalf of the International Labor Defense, of which organization Debs was an executive committee member and an enthusiastic supporter. The committee refused this request. In fact, with the exception of vague references to Debs’ anti-war record, hardly a word was uttered by the speakers of the things that Debs held dearest to his heart.

“No greater piece of vandalism was ever committed over the grave of a revolutionary leader,” was the comment made by a delegate.

Misrepresenting Debs.

As Thomas in his ministerial manner delivered his eulogy, one who did not know Debs might have thot that he was speaking of some harmless quaker. No mention was made of the Debs who called for an army to march on Idaho If the capitalists dared execute Moyer, Haywood and Pettlbone. No mention was made of the Debs who helped organize the I.W.W. or the Debs who tore the political hide of the scoundrelly John Mitchell and the equally scoundrelly Samuel Gompers because of their treachery to the working class.

Debs must be saved from his “friends,” those wolves in sheep’s clothing who seek to rob the American working class movement of one of the brightest jewels in its traditional crown. James P. Cannon, announced that the International Labor Defense was arranging a series of meetings on a national scale to pay tribute to the real Debs, the Debs for class war prisoners and against capitalist tyranny everywhere.

Body Taken to Station.

At the conclusion of the services the body was taken to the Union Station and put on a train bound for Indianapolis, where it will be cremated. After cremation the ashes will be returned to Terre Haute and burled with private services.

As the body was borne from the little home on 8th Street to the station, the mourners marched four abreast and three policemen with heads uncovered could hardly keep back the tears. They were old friends of ’Gene. They did not take their eyes off the humble coffin until it was put on board the train. This was a tribute to the great hold Debs had on the affections of thousands outside the trade union movement, even those who may not in the strict sense of the word be considered workers.

Hlllquit to Get Debs’ Place.

The general opinion among socialists present was that Morris Hlllquit would succeed Debs as national chairman of the socialist party. Whatever regrets Hlllquit and his machine may have over the death of ’Gene Debs, they are personal. They are now relieved from the nightmare of having as national chairman, a man who was opposed to the league of nations and the world court, who was a friend of Soviet Russia, a supporter of the left wing in the trade union movement, a defender of class war prisoners—-In fact he was against everything the Hlllquit crowd is for and for almost everything they are against.

But the American working class will be told the story of the real Debs. His contribution to the American working class movement will not be allowed to rest in Hillquit’s legal pigeon hole or in the pacifist tabernacle of a pulpitess preacher.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

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