Eugene V. Debs: In a Just Society, Every Day Would Be Labor Day
On Labor Day, there’s perhaps no one better to read than Eugene V. Debs. Here’s his 1903 Labor Day message, never before republished, in which he declares, “The struggle in which we are now engaged will end only when every day is Labor Day.”
Socialist Eugene Debs addresses a crowd at a meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1925. (George Rinhart / Corbis via Getty Images)
The first Monday in September has by statutory enactment and general consent been set apart as Labor Day in the United Sates; and its celebration this year will be more general than ever before.
It is a day not only for rest and recreation, but for counsel and meditation. It affords an excellent opportunity to take a backward look, examine the present situation, take an inventory of resources and prepare for the greater work yet to be done before Labor Day can be celebrated by the hosts of freedom.
Labor Day must be regarded not as a privilege to be thankful for, but as a right to be enjoyed.
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