The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-08-12
THE CONVICT CANDIDATE
Life Story of the Socialist Labor
Nominee for President.
NJ. R. PRESTON IN NEVADA Pen

Serving Twenty-Five Years for Man
slaughter. Clad in Stripes He
Serves His Fellow Convicts in the
Capacity of Waiter. His Crime
Grew Out of Labor Troubles.
From barred cell in a peniten-
tiary to the white house at Washing
ton. from convict to president of the
United States-that is the transfer
nation that the Socialist Labor party
would work in the condition Of Mar
tin r. Preston. Preston, clad in
stripes and serving his fellow con-
yicts in the capacity of waiter in the
Nevada state prison at Carson was
the man nominated by them for the
highest office in the gift of the peo-
pie of this great country-or in the
world
Though convicted of killing fell
low being, in a manner that hun
dreds of fair minded citizens de-
clared to be a cold blooded murder,
he would be placed at the head of
the nation if his nominators could
have their say.
Even though a miracle could be
wrought and a sufficient number of
votes to elect were cast for him the
fat, complacent little Socialist who
passes the coffee and hash to the
other unwilling guests of the state
of Nevada could never be seated in
the presidents chair He is not eli
gible, even though he should be par
dOned for the crime for which he is
serving 2 5 years in the Carson peni-
tertiary, for he is too young.
Martin r. Preston was born about
25 years ago, and was left an orphan
when a boy. He was taken into the
family Of q Mrs, Burton and brought
up as her so1.
. Mrs. Burton was a good woman,
but a woman with ideas that We're
in some respect PECULIAR She was
somewhat OF a spritualist, and she
thought she discovered in the boy
Preston material for a medium of
great power. In the little home in
southern California Mrs. Burton and
her adopted son were in the habit of
holding spiritualistic seances-Pres-
ton would be thrown into a trance
and, upon coming back to earth
would repeat the visions and other
spirit phenomena that had been pre-
sented he said, to his brain
In the meantime Preston had
learned the trade of a lineman, and
conScientiOusly contributed a gOOdly
share of his earnings to the support
of the family that had adopted him.
Mrs. Burton was a good mother to
him and he was a good son. But the
boy soon began to take an interest
In the preachings of the socialist ora
tors and he delved into the subject
with more enthusiasm than he had
heretofore shown for anything me-
rerial. Preston very soon became
the regular correspondent for OF
contributor to- a mum Der Of soci2lis:
papers throughout the country. and
IN that manner obtained a wide ac-
quaintance with socialists Of the par
ticular brand he had selected for his
model
- In 1906 Preston started for Ne
vada and Goldfeld He was living
in or near Los Angeles at the time
and although he had but little mon
ey, not sufficient fer the trip by rail,
ne ventured forth After a weary
Journey most of It on foot. he ar
rived at Goldfeld fOotsore and hun
cry. At that time Goldfeld was in
the clutches Of the Industrial Work
ers Of the World, an ayowed socialist
organization headed and organized
by Eugene V. Debs, that had swal-
lowed bodily the Western Federation
of Miners. Preston possessed the
right kind of credentials and was re-
ceived with open arms by the So
cialist leaders. His feet were in bad
condition from his long walk and he
was given a position as nurse in he
Miners Union Hospital
Most Eager Worker.
The strike troubles found Preston
one of the most eager workers
among the radical element Of the I
w. w, which was an essentially rad
ical organization. He was an en-
thusiast, and although he was never
regarded as a man of great force OF
of particular intelligence his will
lingness to do was recognized by the
leaders He figured in the parades
where the red flag of anarchy wa