So does anyone care to explain why they voted Debs?
*Not picking on you BG, just a convenient post to quote…
Why? I’ll tell you why. The Social Democratic Party platform in 1900 was ahead of the curve on several issues that we now take for granted. In particular:
First—Revision of our federal constitution, in order to remove the obstacles to complete control of government by the people irrespective of sex.
Suffrage for women! That would absolutely be the top priority for me in 1900, and the SDP put it at the top of the list. The Socialists were right.
Fifth—The reduction of the hours of labor
In 1900, many American workers had won the right to the 8-hour day, but many more were still struggling to get it. The Socialists were right.
Sixth—The inauguration of a system of public works and improvements for the employment of the unemployed
That is indeed how FDR kept this country going through the Great Depression. The Socialists were right.
Ninth—National insurance of working people against accidents, lack of employment, and want in old age.
Right there you have workman’s compensation, unemployment coverage, and Social Security. Our economy would be unthinkable without those today. The Socialists were right.
Tenth—Equal civil and political rights for men and women, and the abolition of all laws discriminating against women.
Damn right on that! Who nowadays would gainsay such principles?
Eleventh—The adoption of the initiative and referendum, proportional representation, and the recall of representatives by the voters.
Again, these are now normal rights taken for granted by Americans, but in 1900 they had to be fought for.
Your Republicans and Democrats couldn’t even be bothered to support women’s suffrage in 1900. Pfaugh to them! say I. The Socialists were already right about these issues then and they’re still right about them today.
Workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance aren’t national, but otherwise that was a pretty good sell.
Most of them make sense now, but I can’t see 1900 me backing any of them.
Yeah, but you’re a chick, so who cares what you think. You couldn’t even vote! 
Just kidding of course, that was a great post. I went to your cite, so let’s take a look at the full platform:
First — Revision of our federal constitution, in order to remove the obstacles to complete control of government by the people irrespective of sex.
Okay, I can get on board with this one.
Second — The public ownership of all industries controlled by monopolies, trusts, and combines.
Third — The public ownership of all railroads, telegraphs, and telephones; all means of transportation and communication; all water works, gas and electric plants, and other public utilities.
Fourth — The public ownership of all gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, coal, and other mines, and all oil and gas wells.
Complete non-starter for me and probably outweighs any other good in their platform.
Fifth — The reduction of the hours of labor in proportion
to the increasing facilities of production.
You mentioned this one. Can’t agree that MANDATED max working hours is a good thing, although I can get behind mandatory OT pay, etc.
*Sixth — The inauguration of a system of public works and improvements for the employment of the unemployed, the public credit to be used for that purpose.*This can be good in certain situations, but shouldn’t be permanent policy (the using public credit part - obviously public works need to be done, but in normal times should be done within budget).
*Seventh — Useful inventions to be free, the inventor to be remunerated by the public.*Ummm…no. Just no.
*Eighth — Labor legislation to be national, instead of local, and international where possible.*Can’t agree with the international part, but I agree that consistency across the country is valuable.
*Ninth — National insurance of working people against accidents, lack of employment, and want in old age.*The Great Society. Got it.
*Tenth — Equal civil and political rights for men and women, and the abolition of all laws discriminating against women.*I guess this is just fleshing out the detail on “First”, right?
*Eleventh — The adoption of the initiative and referendum, proportional representation, and the right of recall of representatives by the voters.*You said we had all these, but we don’t have any that I’m aware of. I certainly don’t remember voting on any national referendums, we don’t have proportional representation, and recall of Congressman, if allowed anywhere, is certainly not available everywhere. Further, only one (and possibly) two of those things is a good idea.
*Twelfth — Abolition of war and the introduction of international arbitration.*Hahahahaha!!! I love this one.
In a bitter three way election, the Republican candidate William McKinley defeats his Socialist opponent Eugene V. Debs and the Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan.
And a re-writing of history is narrowly averted! phew !!
McKinley/Roosevelt for me. Good, sound, solid men. McKinley had a good first term and deserves another. I like that young Roosevelt fellow, too - a bit flashier than McKinley, but a war hero, a backer of a strong Navy, and a reform-minded Governor of New York.
Bryan is just a bit too much of a populist has-been for my tastes, and the rest are not serious candidates, I think.
I’m watching History Channel’s interesting Men Who Built America. According to this show, the titans of industry (Rockefeller, Morgan, etc.) used their power to elect McKinley over Bryant and, because V.P. was considered an unimportant and powerless position, they orchestrated the choice of Teddy for V.P with the intention of derailing the career of a man they saw as another nemesis! Any validity to that?
If true, Czolgosz achieved the blow against the moneyed powers he intended by shooting McKinley, their chosen man. Funny how these things happen sometimes.
It wasn’t exactly to derail his career. VP was still a pretty prominent post, but it was a prominent post that took him out of New York, where the local GOP machine wanted then reformist Governor Roosevelt out of the way, mainly because of his opposition to the “spoils system” of handing out appointments to reward political favors.