The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-06-05
ANOTHER usURPATION.
THE DERs CASE.
The Constitution a Dead-Letter

we udu UIl0 pleasure Vi NEE Ting, GUC
other day, on the Interurban cars. be-
tween Minneapolis and St. Paul, our
old friend, the celebrated president OF
the A. r. o., Mr.. Eugene v. Debs, who
will soon 60 to Woodstock, Illinois, to
serve six months or year, in prison,
for alleged violation Of an injunction
Of the United States Supreme Court.
We had long and interesting talk
with him. In answer to our questions
he proceeded to say that the decision
Of the Supreme Court was very adroit
and plausible. It proceeded to say
that the mails. and business of the
country must not be interrupted by
conspiracies to stop the running Of
trains or by acts of violence. This
appeared reasonable, and appealed to
every citizens private interests;
"but," said Mr.. Debs, "there was not
the slightest evidence to show that
ever interfered with the running OF
the mails, or the transportation of
passengers and goods. The several
branches Of the A. r. U. resolved, by
direct vote, to institute sympathetic
strike with the labor force at Pull
man, because Pullman, would not
arbitrate with his men the questions
in dispute between them; and it be-
came my duty as president OF the A.
r. o., to notify the men of the con-
illusions arrived at by the member
ship; but I was careful to warn them
not to resort to violence: to simply
stop work; and il others took their
places not to use force to displace
them. The worst of this decision is
that it puts an end to all practical or
ganization Of labor to resist de-
crease of its wages; for in case Of
strike the officers who issue the orders
are held responsible for all disorders
and crimes that may grow out Of the
strike. Hence the working people
can no longer combine together for
self-defence as they can in England.
They are tied hand and foot"
WELL" we asked, what is going to
be the effect Of it all?''
''There will probably be no more
strikes" replied Mr.. Debs, "but the
whole body Of workingmen will adj
vance on the ballot box in 1896; and,
as they constitute large majority of
the whole people, they will take pos
sessions of the government and drive
out the men who are trying to en-
slave them"
Mr.. Debs is quiet, gentlemanly
man. and looks more like a theologi-
cal student than a labor-leader; but
he is man of first-class ability, and
there is snap in his eyes that shows
he will not be inundated or sup
pressed.
It is our judgment that Plutocracy
has committed the gravest possible
mistake sending this man to prison.
It makes martyr of him; and 'sthe
blood of the martyrs has, in all ages,
been s'the seed Of the church.''
"The Avon to the Severn runs,
The Savern to the sea:
week.-Mrs. dust is spread abroad
Wide as it's waters be-.
If it could have been shown that
Debs, himself. had, in any particular,
indicted and tried by jury of his
peers: and, if convicted, according to
the ancient rules Of justice and right,
have been punished. But he is put in
prison as vicarious offering,-as the
representative of the immemorial
right of the laboring people to i'm
prove their condition in life; and he
is there, an American citizen, without
being indicted, or tried by jury of
his country-men, but under newly
asserted claim of the judiciary to
over. ride the constitutional defences
Of the citizens, and make themselves
grand jury, petit jury, Legislature
and constitution all in one. Every
thinking man in this nation, when he
reflects upon Debs, in prison, will say
to himself:-''my rights under the
common law and the Magma Charta
are violated in the person of yonder
prisoner: and what is his fate to-day
may be mine next year."
The constitution of the United
States says:-(VI Amendments.)
"In ALL criminal prosecutions the ac-
cused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial By an impartial JURY Of
the state .and district wherein the
crime shall have been committed.
And article III Of the constitution
says:
''The trial of ALL crimes, except in
cases of impeachment, shall be by
JURY"
But despite these clear and I'M
equivocal words Debs is about to un-
dergo long period of Imprisonment
for an alleged crime, and yet he was
never indicted or tried by jury, or
convicted of any crime. An attempt
was made to indict and try him but
the evidence did not show any overt
or criminal act on the part of Debs,
and the government took advantage
of the sickness of juryman to stop
the prosecution. Debs offered to go
on with eleven jurymen but the gov
eminent had got enough Of it and the
case was never renewed.
The hand Of Plutocracy has seized
upon our boasted constitution and to-
day it is but piece Of shrivelled
sheep-skin; and every man in the
United Stated holds his liberty at the
mercy of judges, appointed through
the influences which are despoiling