Published: October 04, 2008 10:43 pm         

Narrative, music help tell Debs tale

TERRE HAUTE — A mix of narrative and music helped tell the life story of union leader and political activist Eugene V. Debs as more than 80 people joined in song Saturday with the Voces Novae Chamber Choir of Bloomington at the Scottish Rite Hippodrome Theater at 727 Ohio St.

The choir sang songs such as “Once to Ev’ry Man and Nation,” “What a Weapon is the Ballot” or “Voting for Labor.”

The afternoon program was a preclude to the annual Eugene V. Debs Award banquet at Hulman Center, on the campus of Indiana State University.

Debs was born in Terre Haute in 1855 and is considered one of America’s strongest advocates for workers’ rights. In 1893, he organized the American Railway Union, the first industrial union to recognize both skilled and unskilled labors. He ran five times for U.S. president on the Socialist party ticket.

“I think it is important that people have a good historical understanding of labor unions and what it means for people. I thought the program was wonderfully done,” said John Lepley, 27, who graduated in May from Indiana State University where he said he was a recipient of the Gertrude and Theodore Debs memorial fellowship to study the history of American labor and reform movements.

Charles King, secretary of the Eugene V. Debs Foundation in Terre Haute, said the program demonstrates “the labor heritage of this area and of Indiana, which runs very deep, a heritage of Indiana such as the sports of basketball and auto racing. Many people don’t realize and think that Debs was just a radical socialist … which was not the case. He helped organize the first chapters of many [union] locals here in Terre Haute,” King said.

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.