The National tribune., 1906-10-18
DEBs,s VICIOUS MANIFESTO.
We have received the following let

I Debs's speech, together with comments
/ thereon. Eugene V. DebS is a Socialist,
likewise Meyer and Haywood. They
i stand for a principle founded on equal
ity and justice. They represent the
| only political party worthy of an hon.
est mans vote. Each of these men
\ has received brutal treatment-Moyer
and Haywood in Colorado and Debs in
| Chicago. Up to this hour they have
not been proven guilty of any crime
other than being labor leaders. Some
years ago Debs was put in Jail on ac-
count of a strike in Chicago. He final
ly obtained a trial, but Investigate pn
proved too much. a juror became sud-
| denly ill, the court was adjourned. and
he must be ill yet. for the defendant
still awaits a continuance of the trial.
Now. ! assume that you as the editor
of a great paper know all the details
| leading up to the arrest of these men.
If so. you know that they We're de-
prived of their liberty without due
process of law. Why were they spirit
ed away in the night and without Il
| hearing conveyed by special train out
of the State? Men love darkness rath-
er than light because their deeds are
evil. We believe the mine owners are
interested in their conviction. Every
good citizen will say if these men are
! found guilty of murder or conspiracy
by fair and impartial trial they
should be hung. Are you able to clear
all accusations of bribed jurors. of
| forged testimony? For it is a common
| saying that money will purchase any
| thing in these days. / believe the
whole move is a scheme to disrupt the
| Western Federation of Labor and to
discourage Socialism, movement
which is growing in popularity on both
| hemispheres.
L heard a prominent politician say
ftr-n N-na hot N.-I fI1n iD1 1iStS
became too numerous the Republican
| Party would wipe them out l guess
| they will have quite Il job on their
hands.
1t is and always has been the busi-
ness IF the capitalist press to keep the
| common people in ignorance that it
| might rob them easily. How well they
have succeeded the following figures
will be of interest Let it be under
stood that capital is necessary. but =
capitalist never to the well being of
real dem ocratic Government.
The laborers of this country are the
producers Of its wealth. Twenty-Five
years ago they got 40 per cent of its
product: to-day they get II per cent.
The rich wine and dine and form alli-
ances, but that is all right. But let n
few laborers get together and talk. OF
course, that's different. They are dis
turbing the peace, and if they organ
ize and attempt to better their deplor-
able condition that is n mob, and must
be dealt with accordingly.
The Socialists are as tame and
peaceable a lot IF fellows as can be
found but they are after a real square
deal, and Notwithstanding the way they
are accused and misrepresented they
will get it some day.-Cornelius Right
mire. Proctor, Pa.
Probably words would be wasted in
answer to the above letter, and yet we
feel that the cause of law and good
Government demand that it shall not
go unanswered.
The first reply is that all our civill-
zation has been an effort to prevent
such crimes as those Debs was guilty
of in his Chicago insurrection and those
by which the Ex-Governor of Idaho
was foully assassinated. The whole or
ganization of our society and Govern
ment is % prevent such crimes and to
properly punish them if committed.
This is the whole matter in a nutshell.
We have instituted a Government in
which every man has his share and
where he is responsible not only for
the laws but for the men who execute
them. His vote elects the legislators
who make the laws and also elects the
officers who execute them. If the laws
are wrong in any particular or the men
who exeC ute them are inefficient or
corrupt, ne has a ready remedy in the
election of better men. He has it in
his power to call all these public ser
wants to strict account as to the man.
ner in which they perform their duties.
If they do not do right he is as much
to blame as any man in the country.
because his vote counts as much as
any other m ans in the Government.
Therefore, it is criminal in the last
degree for any man to assert that he
is justified in crime because the laws
and the officials are not what they
should be. This was the crime COM
cago insurcection. Into the merits of
that dispute we shall not enter. nor as
to how far the working people were
injured. Mr.. Debs did not make these
questions a subject of debate by the
people of the United States or the State
Of Illinois, and in this he showed him
self utterly n-American. There is not
the slightest doubt that if Mr.. Debs
had properly presented the wrongs of
the people to the people there would
have been an insistence that they
should be remedied. Instead of that
Mr.. Debs constituted himself the sole
judge ard proceeded, without refer
ence to the rights Of the rest of the
people, t. acts of rebellion.
Nor will we go into the troubled
questions of the Western mining sys-
TEN. Undoubtedly there are many
things in the operation of those mines
that are oppressive to the miners and
should be rjghted. There is a peace
able, orderly, lawful way in which to
do that The miners have a majority
If the votes in that country; they Sc
lect and put in nomination the men
who are representing them in the Leg
islature and in the execution of the
laws made by that Legislature. 1t is
criminal nonsense to allege that the
legislators. the Judges and the Execu-
tive officers are bought up. If this is
the case then the fault lies with the
miners that they do not elect better
men. They have had the most ample
experience in exercising the rights of
American citizens; they know how they
have been disapDOinted in their pre-