The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-23

the Colorado man, "the Government OF
the United States has been conducted on
the principle of The people be damned.
and the present indications were that the
people had been pretty well damned"
Tommy Morgan read letters from August
McGrath, secretary of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor; J. S. Coxey, John Swim
ton, Rev. Herbert n. Casson of Lynn,
Mass; P. j. Mcclure of Philadelphia
Samuel Gompers, ex-president OF the Fed
Grafton of Labor; Ex-Congressman J. B.
Weaver of Des Moines; B. o. Flour of Bos-
ton, editor of Arena, and many others.
Debs was greeted with tremendous ap-
plause as he made his way to the front OF
the platform. The crowd had hardly al
lowed Chairman Woodbury. to introduce
the labor leader before it again broke forth
in tumultuous cheering, which continued
for some time Debs then delivered re-
markable address.
The title of Mr.. Debs' speech was Glib
erty," he addressing his hearers as Lovers
of liberty and despisers of despotism."
After terming the Imprisonment of him
self and colleagues fragrant violation OF
the constitution and the total abrogation
of law and the usurpation of judicial and
despotic power" the speaker voiced de-
mand for a trial by jury for conspiracy.
He said:
SAT the instigation of the railroad cor
porations centering here in Chicago l was
indicted for conspiracy, and l insist upon
being tried as to my innocence or guilt. 1t
will be remembered that the trial last win
ter terminated very abruptly on account
of a sick Juror. 1t was currently reported
at the time that this was merely pretext
to abandon the trial and thus defeat the
vindication of favorable verdict, which
seemed inevitable, and which would have
been in painfully embarrassing contrast
with the sentence previously pronounced
by Judge Woods in substantially the same
case. Whether this be true or not [ do
not know. l do know, however, that l
have been denied trial, and here and
now L demand hearing of my case.
81 am charged with conspiracy, and, if
guilty, should go to the penitentiary. All
l ask is a fair trial and no favor. If the
counsel for the Government, alias the
railroads, have been correctly quoted IN
the press, the case against me and my col.
leagues is mot to be pressed, as they do
not wish to appear in the light OF perse-
cutting the defendants l repel with
scorn their professed mercy. Simple JUS
tice is the demand. I am not disposed to
shrink from the fullest responsibility for
my acts. | have had time for meditation
and reflection, ana l have no hesitancy in
declaring that, under the same circum-
stances, would pursue the same policy.
So far as my acts are concerned, l have
nefthor apology nor regrets"
Mr.. Debs here came to the subject of the
evening and in this connection said:
Liberty is not a word of modern
coinage. Liberty and slavery are primal
words-like good and evil, right and
wrong; they are opposites, and CO.
existent. There has been no liberty in the
world since the gift, like sunshine and
rain, came down from heaven, for the
maintenance of which man has not been
required to fight, and mans complete
degradation is secured only when subiu-
cation and slavery have slapped him of
the last spark of the noblest attributes of
his nature and reduced him to the inert
ness of clod.
1.-The theme tonight is personal liberty;
or giving it its full height, depth and
breadth, American liberty, something that
Americans have been accustomed to eulo-
gize since the foundation of the Republic
and multiplied thousands of them continue
in the habit to this day, because they do
not recognize the truth that in the i'm prs-
onment of one man, in defiance of all con-
stitutional guarantees, the liberties of all
are invaded and placed in peril. In saying
this [ conjecture have struck the key
note of alarm that has convoked this vast
audience.
For the first time in the record of all
ages the inalienable rights of man, life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness were
proclaimed July 4, 1776. 1t was then that
crowns, scepters, thrones and the divine
right of kings to rule sank together and
man expanded to glorious liberty and SOW
ereignty. 1t was then that the genius of
liberty, speaking to all men in the COM
handing voice of eternal truth, babe them
assert their heaven decreed prerogatiVes
and emancipate themselves from bond
age. 1t was proclamation signed by the
1n6nite-and man stood forth the coro-
neted sovereign OF the world, free as the
tides that flow, free as the winds that
blow, and on that primal morning when
creation was complete the morning stars
and the sons Of God, in anthem chorus,
sang the song of liberty.
1.-The Creator had surveyed his work and
pronounced it good, but nothing can be
called good in human affairs with liberty
eliminated. 1t does not matter that the
Creator has sown with stars the fields OF
ether and decked the earth with countless
beauties for mans enjoyment if liberty is
ostracised, man is slave and the world
rolls in space and whirls around the sun a
gilded prison and doomed dungeon, and,
though painted in all the enchanting hues
that infinite art could command, it must
stand forth blotch amidst the singing
spheres OF the real heavens, and those who
Gull from the vocabhlaries of nations,
living or dead, whose flashing words with
which to apostrophize liberty engaged in
perpetuatlng the most stupendous delu-
sion the ages have known. Strike down
liberty, no matter by what subtle and in
formal ha daa6 ic dopo RI oil