Thousands to gather in Chicago as eight socialist choirs unite to sing the ‘Marseillaise,’ wishing Eugene V. Debs and the Red Special bon voyage as they begin their epic cross-country propaganda rail trip for the 1908 Presidential election.

‘Picnickers to Sing of Revolt’ from the Chicago Daily Socialist. Vol. 2 No. 259. August 28, 1908.

Alton Park Will Resound With the Song of Liberty, the “Marseillaise”

Promptly at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon the merrymakers in Alton park will be brought to their feet with a long-drawn deafening cheer as the inspiring strains of the “Marseillaise,” sung by the members of eight singing societies, reaches their ears. Hardly will the first strains be sung when the whole park will resound with the revolutionary strains. Every man, woman and child will join in.

Song to Open Campaign

The “Marseillaise” will mark the opening of the national campaign. Immediately after the singing Eugene V. Debs will mount the speakers’ platform. He will level that long finger of his and proceed to use it as a pile driver. He will use it to drive home his arguments–arguments that the eloquent far-famed William Jennings Bryan feared to confront when challenged to a debate on Socialism.

From 3 o’clock on the park will be exceptionally lively. The “Red Special” will stand on the tracks, throbbing with impatience, surrounded by thousands and thousands of visitors. Biedel’s band will be playing Socialist national songs, members of the Young People’s Socialist League will be flying through the park in search of subscribers to the Daily Socialist and reporters from capitalist papers will be fitting around in search of material for stories of the Ananias type.

Eight Singing Societies

The picnic will not lack for entertainment, for eight Socialist singing societies will be on hand. The societies that have volunteered their services are as follows:

Socialist Saengerbund, South Side Liedertafel, Liedertafel Freiheit, Bakery Workers Singing Society, Ferdinand La Salle Frauen Choir, South Side Damen Choir, Scandinavian Singing Society and the Hebrew Singing Society. The singing will be accompanied by music rendered by Biedel’s band.

James H. Brower, candidate for governor of Illinois, will act as chairman. He will give a short talk and then introduce A.M. Simons, editor-in-chief of the Chicago Dally Socialist, who will accompany the “Red Special” on its western trip. Simons will talk on “The Socialist Press.”

The arrangement committee has sent complimentary tickets to each of the Chicago newspapers and it is expected that each will send a reporter to cover the picnic.

Where Tickets Are On Sale

Places where tickets are on sale at present are as follows: Cook county headquarters,163 East Randolph street: Chicago Dally Socialist, 180 Washington street: Chicago Dally Spravedlnost, 683 Loomis street: Kotas Brothers, 135 Blue Island avenue: Radous 612 West Eighteenth street, and from members of Socialist branches at large.

The “Red Special” will leave the Union depot at 1 o’clock sharp.

The Chicago Socialist, sometimes daily sometimes weekly, was published from 1902 until 1912 as the paper of the Chicago Socialist Party. The roots of the paper lie with Workers Call, published from 1899 as a Socialist Labor Party publication, becoming a voice of the Springfield Social Democratic Party after splitting with De Leon in July, 1901. It became the Chicago Socialist Party paper with the SDP’s adherence and changed its name to the Chicago Socialist in March, 1902. In 1906 it became a daily and published until 1912 by Local Cook County of the Socialist Party and was edited by A.M. Simons if the International Socialist Review. A cornucopia of historical information on the Chicago workers movements lies within its pages.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/chicago-daily-socialist/1908/080828-chicagodailysocialist-v02n259.pdf