Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-11-26
: : HONOR DEBS. &
Ovation Accorded the Labor Lead
i or by Admiring Crowds.
Conducted in Triumph from Jail in
Woodstock to Chicago, Where He
Addresses Big Audience.

Chicago, Nov. 23.-Eugene V. Debs
for five minutes Friday afternoon was
literally Gin the hands of his friends"
1t was just after the arrival of the train
load Of enthusiastic admirers of the
great strike leader at the little town of
Woodstock where he again breathed
the air of freedom for the first time in
half year. They had marched from
the railroad depot to the Jail, and Debs
stood on the steps awaiting them.
There was preliminary thunder of
hurrahs and then the storm of bottled
up admiration broke, and there was a
scene which has hardly ever been du-
plicated in the annals of labor affairs.
Mr.. Debs' Address
AT Battery d the audience numbered
about 1000. In addition to the address
by Mr.. Debs, short speeches were made
by Henry D. Lloyd, of Chicago; ex-Gov.
Waite, of Colorado, and others. A syn
opsis Of Mr.. Debs' remarks is as follows:
! He said he was not certain whether the
present was an occasion Of rejoicing or If
lamentation. He confessed to serious
doubt as to whether the day marked his
deliverance from bondage to freedom, or
from freedom to bondage. In the light Of
recent judicial proceedings he stood
stripped of his constitutional rights as
tree man, and shorn Of the most sacred pre-
negatives of American citizenship. What
was true Of himself was true of every other
citizen who had the temerity to protest
against corporation rule or question the
absolute sway Of the money power: 1t was
not law or the administration Of law of
which he complained. It was the fragrant
violation Of the constitution, the total alb
foRatton OF law and the usurpation of ju-
dicial and despotic power, by virtue Of
which he and his colleagues were commit
ted to jail. against which he entered bis
solemn protest.
BY Jury Of His Peers.
'.At this juncture," said he. IT deem 1t
proper to voice my demand for trial by
10 jury OF my peers At the instigation Of
the railroad corporations centered here in
Chicago. I was indicted for conspiracy,
and insist upon being tried as to my In
lnocence or guilt. 1t will be remembered
that the trial last winter terminated very
abruptly on account of sick juror. It
was currently reported at the time that
this was merely prcteXt to abandon the
trial and thus defeat the yindication Of q
favorable verdict. which seemed inevita-
lble and which would have been in pain
fully embarrassing contrast with the sem
tence previously pronounced by Judge
Woods in substantially the same case
Whether this be true or not 1 do not know.
! Il do know. however, that have been
denied a trial. and here and now 1 demand
% hearing Of my case. am charged with
conspiracy and If guilty should 20 to the
penitentiary. All ask is a fair trial and
no favor. If the counsel for the govern
lment, alias the railroads. have been cor
rectly quoted in the press the case against
me and my colleagues is not to be pressed.
o. they do not wish to appear in the light
LOT prosecuting the defendants 1 repel
with scorn their professed mercy; simply |
Justice Is the demand. ] am not disposed |
10 shrink from the fullest responsibility |
Tor my acts. I have had time for medita-
tion and reflection and have no hesitancy |
In declaring that under the same circum- |
stances would pursue precisely the same |
policy. So for as my acts are concerned I |
have neither apology nor regret"
Defends the A. n. U.
Mr.. Debs then spoke at length in defense
OF the American Railway union. He chal.
lenged the enemies of that organization to
stand up before the labor world and give
o reason why they have maligned and per-
secuted the order. He would declare to
every friend of American toilers, regard
less OF banner, name or craft, that If the |
American Railway union has erred it has
been on the side of sympathy, mercy and
humanity--zeal in a great cause, devotion
to the spirit of brotherhood 1t must he |
borne In In mind that the American Railway
union did not challenge the government.
It threw down no gauntlet to courts or
armies-it simply resisted the invasion of
the rights Of workingmen by corporations
1T challenged and detied the power Of cor
porations.
1NA1Hn pnY.N