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Eugene Debs: The Brotherhood Of The Populist Party

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During the beginning of the 20th Century American political history was characterized by turbulence in the two party system. There were new parties and political ideals coming to the forefront and beginning to be supported in a mainstream way including the birth of a rural farmer based party in 1892 called the Populist Party (Flamm, Sept. 2). There were many different political battles being fought across the country with the uprising of unions and many workers trying to create a more fair and safe working environment, these unions and their strikes gave Eugene Debs an entrance to the political world that he would use to become one of the most successful third party candidates in U.S. history as well as the premiere American Socialist.
Eugene …show more content…

His occupation as a railroad worker is what first introduced him to the political, “I have been with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen almost from its birth; had helped to organize the Switchmen’s Mutual Aid Association, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, and the Order of Railway Telegraphers - now the American Railway Union,” (Debs - Painter, 11). He was elected by the Democrats to the City Clerk of Terre Haute and then eventually to the Indiana General Assembly, His attraction at first to the Democratic party as the Democrats were beginning to identify even more with the labourers and it allowed Debs to keep up with the Brotherhood’s “ideal of harmony as a goal for labour” (Salvatore, 36). Importantly Debs’ interaction with the Democratic party allowed him to venture into the world of politics in the more traditional sense. His experience in the General Assembly …show more content…

His leadership potential was seen whether or not he held office and from quite a young age due to his place with the working man where he still aligned most of his beliefs. His conviction of social order in harmony and justice however was constantly called into question by the capitalistic nature of American economics which led Debs to become involved in efforts like the Pullman Strike. When George Pullman lowered the wages of his sleepercar factory workers to “the starvation point” and dismissed two members of the “grievances committee” that met with him afterward to negotiate the wage cut (Painter, 19). After going to A.R.U. the unofficial unions started after the decrease in salary became associated with a larger railway union and began a strike against any train pulling Pullman cars. Debs used this platform to truly move into the world of politics and become an outspoken socialist in

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