Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-17
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER IL, 1918.
SpciafIsr, Failed Miscrably.

While no sane patriot of America will
denv that the prison term Eugene Debs
has brought upon himself Is deserved,
there aus thousands Of persons, IN fact
All who know the Chicago Socialist, who
win regret to learn that he may pass his
ruknaininr DAYS behind bars.
D.ts is = study quite worth considering.
He is one of the most iovabe of men, big
hearted, courageous, generous, with out
a suggestion of brsvado, the poser or
uartyr. lie is simple, PLAIN, unassllming;
smiling, cheerful, laughing, tender-thc
man who would stop to help lame dog
over the st1le, or go squares out OF his
vsv 10 save nesting fnm the nav
of = cat. Tender as a girl, loving all good
and beautiful things, loyal friend who
rrirrs ones affections IN clutches OF steel
such is the Gene" Dobs as his friends
know him.
There seems TO be no other side 70 the
man. He sincerely believes, or sincerely
thinks he believes, that Socialism Will
solve the problems Of the poor, though he
has lived TO see what q miserable failure
it is when put to the test. lie has seen
IN the present war that the Socialists who
fought 50 long and obstlnstelv the Prus-
san spirit-thc autOcratIc rulc ot the
Kaiser-turned direct ~ 10 the dcSp0t OF
Berlin at few honey words and 2 cross
or cheap medal here and there bestowed
among the SocIaiistc mob.
Dctss saw, too, tina the Socialists of
Germany had the op portumty 70 stay the
war by refusing to vote credit TO the
nation irving to destroy the world, but
they failed IN the great crises; had they
acted in accordance with their pro
tcstations they would have been regarded
SIS a power in world politics.
Socialism, which has been brulted and
prated about for TWO decades as the
solution Of the worlds ilIs-and ior the
uplift OF mankind showed that its under
lvlng principles. or fundamentals were
false. 30 like all houses built upon sand
The frst test that came showed what
false pretense Socialism Is; what a rank
failure IT has proven Itself to be. II has
fallen down, failed, ineverythlng for
which it stood, ar claimed TO stand for.
Before the outbreak OF the GcrTnan-made
war Socialism stood uDeqWvocally for
peace apd opportunity, if II stood for
ANYTHING. On the first call. hound like, IT
licked the hand that had stricken IT and
voted at the behest of autocracy-to lend
iss aid to the P1lssian Juggernaut TO ride
dc1n and chain n bondage the rest OF
mankind.
Through SociaIists N Russia the Ger
man Socialists worked 10 enslave the
entire nation and to snatch from the grasp
OF the masses the only hope Of liberty
that had ever come TO the three hundred
million people Of the great nation
1t was the one supreme opportunity that
has ever been, or can ever be, preseDtes
to Socialists To serve their fellows, to free
them, TO lift them from the darkness of
ignorant bondage 10 the vantage point
Of equal opportunity. But 1t failed 1t
seems strange that Debs has been unable
10 SEE that every excuse Socialism has had
fur existepce has blown into foul vapor
and disappeared. Strange, too, 1t Is that
Debe. with ms eye for good and true, can
NOT see that hrs beloved Socialists are for
the most part dirty, unseInpt, shiftleas,
dishonest, t1cky, dfsioyal lot; ready TO
sell out thssr cause, their friends or them
selves Tor a Iress of sinking potage
This statement Is borne out by the
facts as developed by the war. Even
before the war the appearance III the
ranks of the Socialists of q person Of
cleanIy habits, seif-respecang and honest,
was 50 rare as to make such AN one con-
spsc,losls. Those, or the maionty of those
coming under the latter category have
deserted the party in disgust since IT has
grown Itself an organization that stood
for nothing IN particular when the time
came for it to show its hand.
IN Germany Socialism stands firmly
for the autocyacy-for war. In Russia,
Socialism rs fairly on record as selling the
nation into slavery TO Germany; In
Arnerica-quite the opposite OF the
situation In Gernany-the Socialists are
for peace at time when there can be no
pcace, when peace meane surrender to
the brutal Prusslan. What q dastardly
record Of treachcry and treason.
IL this country would protect itself and
its allies against fate similar TO Russia s,
ii n,.st guard against even the amiable
Debe. or the iess amiablo and moro
offensive Stevens ON our States border.
Truly il would b. an interesting psy-
geological study TO annlyze the mental
prooezses which group Deba in tho class
of traitors. ready 10 sell ts out 20 our
HIN enemy. lie oonfeasts ~ IN Htt1F
nbhoncnce Of tho Kaiser and what tho