Cogglnss Some were labor people. But most of them were 



people that the system was rejeetlng« who knew they 

 were being rejected. Middle class people who wer« 

 not succeeding in capitalism* 



Gilbi Would you count yourself among this number? 



Coggins* I was a person who didn't like capitalism* I didn't 

 like the things you had to do In capitalism and 

 business and I didn't like the waste of people and 

 Materials. Fruit and ye ge tables were regularly 

 being dunked in the Bay then to Iceep the price up* 

 I was not embittered. Life had treated me pretty 

 well^ but that alone wasn't enough to justify thm 

 eapitalist system* 



Gilb: Did Debs ever come out here? 



Coggins: Oh ye8» practically every election* Ve held 



nee tings for him lots of times. He came if you 

 needed him* I think as a rule, though, that men 

 like atitt Wilson or Job Harrinan don't like to 

 hare a bigger man come. That's natural enough* 

 They want to be the lead. Debs would come out, 

 •specially on his own eaxi9>aigns, and then he came 

 out after the war when he got out of Atlanta* We 

 filled the Civic Auditoritim at a dollar a head^ 



