River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-11-28

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EUGENE V. DEBs.
while others struggled 20 get near him.
/ Meanwhile the crowd kept up con-
slant yelling and the band played on,
selecting as their theme: See. the
Conquering Hero Comes" Debs took it
! II in the goodnatured spirit in which
! D. was meant, and when he was put
down began Misunderstanding soiree that
/ lasted until the train was nearly ready
to start.
Demonstration in Chicago.
When the delegation reached Chicago
another crowd was waiting at the
depot and the scene at Woodstock was
| duplicated in mlder colors. From the
| depot the line of march was taken up to
| Battery ID, and although miserable
| 1rizzle was dropping, the streets were
all along filed with spectators, who
| joined the marchers. At Battery ID Mr..
| Debs spoke for about two hours on
topics which have become familiar to
| all labor slvocates. He denied emphat-
ically that exMayor Hopkins had any
! thing whatever to do with aiding or
abetting the big railroad strike, and
said if there was either shame or glory
attached to it, he wanted to bear il him
! self and have nobody else dragged in.
At Battery ID the audience numbered
about 1000. tradition to the address
| by Mr.. Debs, short speeches were made
| by Henry ID. Lloyd, of Chicago; ex-Gov.
/ Waite. of Colorado. and others. syn
| opsis of Mr.. Debs' remark is as follows
Mr. Debs' Address.
| He said he was not certain whether the
| present was an occasion Of rejoicing or +
| lamentation. He confessed 70 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 a
free man, and shorn of the most sacred pre-
negatives of American citizenship. VIVA;
was true of himself was true of every other
citizen who had the temerity to protest
against corporation rule or question tie
absolute sway of the money power. IL was
not law or the administration of law OF
which he mplained. 1t was the fragrant
violation of the constitution, the total alb
rogation 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 has
solemn protest.
Isy a Jury of His Peers.
AT this juncture." said he, II deem II
proper to voice my demand for trial by
jury OF my peers. At the instigation OF
| the railroad corporations centered here in
Chicago. / was indicted for conspiracy,
and l insist upon being tried to my in
hoCence or guilt 1t will be remembered
that the trial last winter termina ted very
abruptly on account of a sick juror. 1t
was currently reported at the time that
| this was merely a preteXt to abandon the
| trial and thus defeat the vindication of a
| favorable verdict, which seemed inevita-
| lie and which would have been in pain
| fully embarrassing contrast with the SEN
| tence previously pronounced by Judge
/ Woods in substantially the same case
/ Whether this be true or not do not know.
~ do know. however. that l have been
| denied trial. and here and now | demand
hearing OF my case. / am charged with
| conspiracy and if guilty should go TO the
/ penitentiary. All | ask is a fair trial and
/ no favor. IL the counsel for the govern
! ment. alias the railroads. have been cor
+ rectly quoted in the press the cas- against
| me ana my colleagues is not TO be pressed.
I as they do not wish to appear in the light
4 of prosecuting the defendants | repel
with scorn their professed mercy; simply
! stice is the demand. ] am not disposed
/ to shrink from the fullest responsibility
| for my acts. 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
have neither apology nor regret"
Defends the A. X. U.
/ Mr.. Debs then spoke at length in defense
] Of the American Railway union. He chaI-
4 lenged the enemies of that organization 70
stand up before the labor world and give
a reason why they have maligned and per-
/ secuted the order. He would declare to
/ every friend of American toiIers, regard
1 less of banner. name or craft, that If the
4 American Railway union has erred II has
/ been on the side of sympathy. mercy and
| humanity in great cause dev Otion
1 10 the spirit of brotherhood. 1t must be
/ borne In mind that the American Railway
/ union did not challenge the government
1t threw down no gauntlet TO courts or
/ armies-it simply resisted the invasion of
/ the rights of workingmen by corporations
/ II challenged and defied the power of cor
/ porations.
The Debsuching Power of Money.
The corporations. left to their own re-
/ sources of money, mendacity and malice
/ of thugs and ex-cenvicts leeches and law
| yers, would have been overwhelmed In de-
! feat and the banners OF organized labor
! would have foated triumphant in the
breeze. Defeated at every point, their
plans all frustrated. outkeneTaled In tao
/ tics and strategy. while the hopes CT labor
were Frightening and victory was in sight, |
| the corporations, goaded to desperation, |
played their last card in the game of OPP
| preston by an appeal TO the federal
| judiciary and to the federal adr1inistra-
ton. TO this appeal the response came |
| quick as lightning from a stormcloud. 1t
was an exhibition of the debauching power |
of money which the country had never be- |
fore beheld.
am aware that inuendos. dark init |
nations of venality, are not regarded as
coura geous forms of arraignment, and yet |
the judicial despotism at every step Of the I,
proceeding by which my official associates |
were doomed to Imprisonment was marked |
by ihfHm.es, supported by fslsehoods al. j |
perjuries as destitute of truth as are the |
arctic regions of orange blossoms.
There is an adage which says: Fight |
the devil with fire" In this connection why |
may Z not be intimatsd that Judge who |
pollutes his high office at the behest of the |
money power has the hinges OF his knees |
fabricated with oil from the tank of the |
corporation. that thrift may follow humili- |
ating obedience to its commands?
II rave borne with such composure as |
couiu command the Imprisonment which /
deprived me of my liberty. Were ! ,
criminal-were | guilty of crimes meriting /
a prison cell. had / ever lifted my hand /
sgainst the life or the liberty of my fellow /
men, ha5 | ever sought to fitch their good /
name-I could not be here. would have 1
fed from the haunts of civilization and 1
taken up my residence in some cave where /
the voice of my kindred is never heard i
But am standing here with no self ac-
cusatiOn of crime or criminal intent fes-
tering In my conscience. in the sunlight /
once more among my fellow-men. con-
tribhting as best ] can to make this lib /
Grafton day from Woodstock prison as a /
memorial day"
celebrated In Other Cities.
Omaha, Neb., Nov. 23.-The release of |
Eugene V. Debs from prison was cele-
hrated by members of the American |
Railway union at Washington hall FRI
day night. The dancing programme
was interspersed by speeches by labor
leaders.
Bloomington, H.. Nov. ga mass
meeting was held Friday night at Turn
sr hall. celebrating the release of En-
gene Y, Deha from the Woodstock jail.