Now and then out of the veiled universe comes a friend. In that hour,
and in oft-repeated hours during our lifetime, he is the builder and the
bearer of our dearest thought.
Now and then History, in her long, wavering, stumbling, but ever forward
course, gives us a Hugo, an O’Connell, a Phillips, and now at last,
thank Heaven, a Debs.
Seeing such men, we can realize why Emerson and Whitman can forever have
patience and hope, and look to the sure-coming of the bright days.
Debs greets us and our day is brighter,—sweeter. His every word is a
story. Every word a song. Every word is the bearer of purest love. His
tones are sweet like tones of bells. His tones are firm like bell-tones.
Greeting us, Debs leaves with us a bit of himself which will not leave
us while we live. Debs comes to us with greatest love,—and the greatest
lover is the greatest man.