Labor and Freedom: The Voice and Pen of Eugene V. DebsDebs, Eugene V. (Eugene Victor)
History
Labor and Freedom: The Voice and Pen of Eugene V. Debs
Debs, Eugene V. (Eugene Victor)
Labor -- United States; Socialism -- United States; Socialist Party (U.S.); Working class -- United States
Centuries later Karl Marx embodies the appeal in his famous manifesto
and today it blazes forth in letters of fire as the watchword of the
world-wide revolution: "_Workers of all countries unite: you have
nothing to lose but your chains. You have a world to gain._"
During the brief span of three years, embracing the whole period of his
active life, from the time he began to stir up the people until "the
scarlet robe and crown of thorns were put on him and he was crucified
between two thieves," Jesus devoted all his time and all his matchless
ability and energies to the suffering poor, and it would have been
passing strange if they had not "heard him gladly."
He himself had no fixed abode and like the wretched, motley throng to
whom he preached and poured out his great and loving heart, he was a
poor wanderer on the face of the earth and "had not where to lay his
head."
Pure communism was the economic and social gospel preached by Jesus
Christ, and every act and utterance which may properly be ascribed to
him conclusively affirms it. Private property was to his elevated mind
and exalted soul a sacrilege and a horror; an insult to God and a crime
against man.
The economic basis of his doctrine of brotherhood, and love is clearly
demonstrated in the fact that under his leadership and teaching all his
disciples "sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men,
_as every man had need_," and that they "had all things in common."
"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart."
This was the beginning of the mighty movement Jesus had launched for
the overthrow of the empire of the Caesars and the emancipation of the
crushed and miserable masses from the bestial misrule of the Roman
tyrants.
It was above all a working class movement and was conceived and brought
forth for no other purpose than to destroy class rule and set up the
common people as the sole and rightful inheritors of the earth.
"Happy are the lowly for they shall inherit the earth."
Three short years of agitation by the incomparable Jesus was sufficient
to stamp the proletarian movement he had inaugurated as the most
formidable and portentous revolution in the annals of time. The
ill-fated author could not long survive his stupendous mischief. The aim
and inevitable outcome of this madman's teaching and agitation was too
clearly manifest to longer admit of doubt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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