You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday November 9, 1904
From the Chicago Daily Tribune: Socialist Gather to Celebrate Election Returns
Despite the landslide victory for the Republican Party, the Socialists of Chicago gathered at Brand's hall last evening to celebrate election returns which proved to be twice the normal vote for the Socialist Party in the city of Chicago.
Today's Chicago Daily Tribune carried huge headlines declaring a landslide victory for President Roosevelt and for the Republican Party as a whole:
Chicago Daily Tribune
of November 9, 1904
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Despite the overwhelming victory for Roosevelt and his Republican Party, the Tribune is impressed by the showing of the Socialist Party:
Big Vote for Debs.
Outside of the heavy plurality for the republican national ticket, and in part contributing to it, the vote cast for Debs, the socialist candidate, was the feature of the election in Chicago. With a total approximating 40,000 the socialist ticket surpassed all expectations. The regular strength of this party in this city is less than 20,000 votes, and most of the increase must have come from the democratic party, decreasing the Parker vote by just that much.
Debs strength was almost entirely in the democratic labor wards. It was strong in the stockyards, in the Fifth and Eighth congressional districts, and in South Chicago. In a number of precincts in this localities he received more votes than Parker did. On the other hand, the Debs vote was light in the strong republican wards.
Heavy Vote for Deneen.
For governor, Mr. Deneen ran alongside of Theodore Roosevelt. In some respects he ran better. He lacked the advantage the presidential ticket had from the socialist vote, however, and the result was a fairly even balance between the two.
The difference made by the socialist vote was that while for president Debs received much more than his regular party strength, Collins, the socialist candidate for governor, did not get much more than the normal party support. The returns show that while thousands of democrats scratched Parker to vote for Debs they stuck to their regular party affiliations on the state ticket and voted for Stringer for governor. This gave President Roosevelt a great advantage over Mr. Deneen so far as the matter of plurality in the city, while in the total number of votes cast the republican candidate for the governorship had a slight advantage.
From the Chicago Daily Tribune of November 9, 1904:
GIVES JOY TO SOCIALISTS
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BIG INCREASE IN THEIR VOTE RECEIVED WTH CHEERS.
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They Gather in Brand's Hall to Hear Returns and John Collins,
Mrs. May Wood Simon, and Others Make Addresses-
Bulletins Showing Gain of from 100 to 200 Per Cent from
Scores of Precincts of the City Rouse Enthusiasm.
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In anticipation of a largely increased vote the socialists gathered 1,000 strong at Brand's hall, North Clark and Erie streets, last night, prepared to celebrate.
Their expectations were realized. Early returns that came in from city precincts showed a gain of 100 and in some cases 200 per cent over the vote of the last election, and the strong socialist wards not heard from.
By 10 o'clock the leaders were positive that Chicago would give 40,000 votes to Debs, and it was freely predicted that as many more would be cast in the state. As compared to the election of 1902 the vote is doubled, the total in Chicago then being slightly over 20,000. In the election last year the socialists cast only 14,000 votes.
Many surprises were told in the bulletins. Two precincts in the Fifth wards which gave last year one socialist vote showed returns of 126 votes. Three precincts in the Fourteenth ward which gave last year twelve votes returned 116. Six precincts in the Fourth ward showed an increase of 202 votes over last year.
Men in Assembly and Council.
According to the leaders, this landslide means four men sent to the next general assembly. John Walker of Danville is conceded to have the election. The others who are thought to be elected are P. J. Vind of the Thirteenth district, Samuel Robbins of the Twenty-fifth, and A. Ambrose of the Fourth.
The leaders also say that six alderman will be elected to the next city council.
Between the reading of bulletins the crowd was entertained by speakers and music. Leading socialists at the meeting were A. M. Simons, State Secretary James G Smith, and Thomas Morgan. Mrs. May Wood Simon, candidate for university trustee, also spoke.
"Farewell, farewell,my own sweet love," sang the quartet.
"That is what we are saying to the democrats now," shouted one man in the audience. He was applauded.
"They are discovering that Debs is in the field," said an enthusiast wearing a red badge, as the returns from several precincts were read.
"Here is the most delicious odor that ever came from the stockyards," said the chairman as he read out the returns from an Archer avenue precinct, which showed a gain of over 100 votes for the party.
Means Solid Vote of Unions.
John Collins was called upon to speak. [He said:]
We were received a few years ago with brickbats and bad eggs...and now we have brass bands. This victory means almost a solid vote from the miners in the state and the laboring men in the cities.
"In this way lies only the freedom of all women," said Mrs. Simons, discussing the vote.
State Secretary Smith, discussing the election said:
The reason for this increase is that the workingman realize that the trades union weapon which they possess can only maintain them on their present level, and that only by the election of men of their on class can they benefit themselves. There was not a week during the election that we were not called upon by labor unions to send speakers to their meetings.
National Secretary William Mailly said:
The workingmen are awaking to the fact that the old parties hold nothing for them. I expect a further increase.
[photographs added]
The Tribune reports on results from Terre Haute:
DEBS GAINS IN HOME PRECINCT.
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Socialist Candidate Secured Vote of 30 from Neighbors, Twice That of 1900
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Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 8-[Special.]-Eugene V. Debs received thirty votes in his home precinct, twice what he received four years ago. His residence is in a strong republican precinct, the population of which is made up of people of good circumstances.
He has received perhaps three times as many votes in the city as in 1900. After the big demonstration for him last night, surpassing any meeting of the old parities this campaign, the local party managers revised their estimates on the county socialist vote, which probably will reach 1,200.
Debs is not ready tonight to speak of the situation.
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SOURCE
Chicago Daily Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Nov 9, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
http://www.newspapers.com/...
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Note: In fact, John Walker lost the 1904 election
for representative in the Illinois General Assembly.
https://archive.org/...
See also:
We Called Each Other Comrade: Charles H. Kerr and Company,
Radical Publishers
-Allen Ruff, Paul Buhle
PM Press, Jul 1, 2011
(search with "May Wood")
http://books.google.com/...
IMAGES
All images from the Chicago Daily Tribune
http://www.newspapers.com/...
A. M Simons
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
William Mailly
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
May Wood Simons
http://evanstonwomen.org/...
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Fare Thee Well, My Own True Love -Mary Chapin Carpenter
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