The man was never born who can honestly serve both capitalist and wage worker, both master and slave.
Time will tell!
There is a mass of evidence and other matter I have had to omit. Space will not allow its use and I have already exceeded proper bounds. I have a proposition:
Messrs. Mitchell, Wilson and Lewis allude to themselves as “men who are the equals of Mr. Debs physically, morally and intellectually.” Good! Now, then, I want the truth and shall assume that these gentlemen want the same. There is not space in a paper for full discussion of this question, nor is such discussion satisfactory or final. I aver that the essential facts set forth in my article in the Herald of April 9 are true and can be maintained by overwhelming proof. Mr. Mitchell says there is scarcely a truthful statement in the entire article. He also says “there is no necessary conflict between capital and labor.” I challenge Mr. Mitchell to meet me upon these issues before the members of his own organization, the miners of Illinois, his own state, and of Spring Valley, the city in which he lives. Mr. Mitchell may have both Mr. Wilson and Mr. Lewis to help him.
Let the case be presented to the miners whose union I am charged with attempting to destroy and let them render the verdict.
Eugene V. Debs.
Supplementary to the above the following and final letter of Mr. Debs appeared in the same paper July 2, 1904:
MR. DEBS.
Terre Haute, Ind., June 24, 1904.
To the S. D. Herald: