The Washington herald., 1918-06-19
The Big Fight.

Eugene V. Debs one of the best known of New
World Socialists, still opposes civilizations great
against Kaisersm and still bases his opposition
according to reports of his speech to Ohio Social
lists, upon the fact that there are autocrats and
prohteers in this country and because there is in
the hearts of some Americans, British and French
desire for plumber"
Debs and his kind are still at it. They are still
keeping their eyes so closely upon the profteer
the reactonary and the captain of privilege at home
that they cannot see the horrible fire sweeping
from the land of the worlds most rapacious of
prohteers the most stand-pat of reactionaries and
the most greedy captain OF privilege, Germany's
autoCracy.
When Dcbs says that the purpose of the allies
is the same as the purpose of the central powers
plunder," Debs lies! Only liar or fool could be-
heve that Serbia resisted Austria for punder; that
Belgium resisted the hun invaders for plunder; that
Britain sacrificed the flower of her citizenry when
Belgium was ravaged-for plunder; that France has
bed for nearly four years-for p1under; that the
United States. forced into the war by German muir
der and piracy upon the high seas, by German
crimes and plots on our own soil, by German slay-
ing of American citizens went into the war for
punder. Debs isn't fool Therefore he must he
liar.
Debs right is doing more to aid the Hun
Kaiser than all the pro- German Germans in Amer
tca- He is OF greater assistance to the boches in
France than are the Turks, Bulgarians and the
Austrians His Canton speech even now being
spread broadcast through all Germany and all
German trenches will kill more American soldiers
than all German submarines that hunt for American
transport ships. For Debs' words will be used in
Germany to persuade the Germans on to greater
sacrifice and greater cruelty because they will be-
ieve that America is not in this war TO win-that
Debs voices the sentiments OF a large portion of
population
He voices the sentiment of very few, some of
whom already are in prison and all of whom should
there and probably will Yes there are profteers
n this country. There are men who would plum
Ter. There men who would rob graves There
who would steal and murder. There are
who prey upon the weaker. There are those
ho wax fat upon special privilege There are auto
rats among us.
There profiteers, autocrats and special priyi-
ege seekers in the ranks of the Socialist party,
probably fewer there than in other poitical par
les because it is a small minority party
There are prohtecrs, autocrats and special privi-
.ege seekers in all organizations of human beings
n churches, clubs, in all places where human be-
ngs dwell
They should be fought They should be torn
Ip by the root and cast out. All right thinking
persons agree upon that. Debs and his ilk are not
l1one in opposition to human pirates that prey.
But at this particular time the house of civili-
ration is on fire. Flames are leaping high and
higher. The whole fabric of liberty and democracy
IS threatened. There is nothing in all the world
so important this raging westward from
the Rhine. Beside that fire all petty squabbles
over reactionary politics, petty proiteering and
Wall Street bankers pale into insigni6cance
- After Nefhays beaten the Hun We easily enough