Eugene V. Debs and John L. Lewis: A Contribution to the Labor Movement - Essay Example

Eugene V. Debs dropped out of high school at the age of fourteen to work as a laborer on the railroad. He began his working career as a painter but soon was working as a fireman on the railroad. In 1875 he became active in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, a trade union, even though he was no longer working for the railroad. This decision was the beginning of his political and civic life. Eugene V. Debs rose rapidly in the ranks of his union. In 1878 he was made the assistant editor of the national magazine for his union and was elected as the City Clerk of the city of Terre Haute the next year.

By 1883, Eugene V. Debs had organized the first national industrial worker’s union, called the American Railway Union. The next year this union struck against the Great Northern Railroad for eighteen days. At the end of this work stoppage, Great Northern recognized the union and gave in to their demands. Following this victory, it appeared that unions were gathering great strength, but Eugene V. Debs would soon come up against greater opposition than the Great Northern Railroad could offer.

In 1893, an economic crisis hit the United States economy. As a result, the demand for Pullman rail cars plummeted. The Pullman Company responded by slashing worker’s wages and cutting benefits. Many of the workers were members of the American Railway Union. They decided to strike in 1894. The strike lasted a long time and became very bitter. Finally, President Cleveland broke the strike by sending in federal troops to battle the striking rail workers. Eugene V. Debs was arrested and sent to prison.

This experience inspired Mr. Debs to run for president. He did so five different times. Many made fun of him because he chose to run with the progressive Socialist Party and received very few votes. But Mr. Debs believed that it wasn’t the number of votes that measured his success. He knew he was a long-shot candidate in every election. He viewed his presidential bids as an opportunity to educate America about the injustices forced upon the American workers.