New-York tribune., 1920-05-30
Debs i'm Prison
Told Formally
OF Nomination
Nominee Kisses Each Mem
Der of the Notification
Committee in Ceremony
in L. S. Peniteniiary
I'm Blue Denim Uniform
Socialist Leaders Hold
Conference After the
Speeches Are Delivered

ATLANTA, May 29.-Eugene V. Debs
accepted to-day the Socialist nomina-
tion for President of the Unit;d States
formally rendered him by a committee
from his party.
The ceremony took place inside the
Atlanta Federal penitentiary, where
Debs is serving ten-year term\ on
conviction of violating the espionage
act.
There were some fifteen persons pres
ent at the meeting, which was in a
spacious room on the ground floor, only
the barred windows that broke the view
Of beautiful lawn giving a prison
background. The five members of the
notification committee, headed by Sey-
mour Stedman, of Chicago, Socialist
candidate for president, half a
dozen newspaper and camera men and
Joseph CALDWELL Of Rhode Island, a
member of the Communist party, who
is serving a term at the penitentiary,
made up the party, in addition to
guards.
Debs, attired in his prison suit of
blue denim, greeted each member Of the
notification committee with q kiss.
Under the prison rules the Socialist
leader could issue no formal stateme ent,
but he made speech of acceptance
Fears Being Too Conservative
81 have always been a radical, never
more so than now" said Debs Il have
never been afraid of being too radical,
but | have feared to become too con-
servative.
There is tendency in the Socialist
party to become party Of politicians
instead OF party of workers. This
ought to be checked. We are not in
politics to, get Office, but TO achieve the
industrial emancip patton Of the working
class.
Before beginning to serve my time
here made several addresses support
ing the Russian revolution, which | be-
lleve is the greatest single achieve
ment in the history of mankind. said
was d Bolshevik. I meant it then and
mean it now. | did not mean was a
Russian Bolshevik in America, but that
was fighting for the same thing in
America that they are fighting for in
Russia
The dictatorship Of the proletariat'
is simply a term which the hostile press
had used against US. We are opposed
to dictatorship of any kind. We stand
for freedom, equal rights and justice
for all.
Il am heartily in favor of the Russian
revolution and think we should support
1t with all our power"
Debs concluded by saying: with all
my heart, return thanks and appre-
citation TO you for the honor you have
done me. | may not be able to join
you IN the activities Of the campaign,
but you can rest assured that, if am
mere, my spirit will breathe out through
those bars so that comrades will know
my heart beats with theirs
AT the conclusion Of Debss speech
newspapernen and others withdrew.
while Debs and members of the COM
mlttee conferred on policies and prob
lems Of the Socialist party.
Ihose on the committee besides Mr.
Stedman were: James O'Neal, Julius
Gerber, Otto Branstctter and DR..
Madge Patton Stephens, of Terre
Haute, Ind, friend of the Debs fam
lily.
Notification Address
In notifying Debs of the honor con-
ferred OH him by his comrades, James
O'Neal said:
"Comrade Debs: We have made this
journey to formally notify you of your
nomination for the Presidency by the
Socialist party. While this nomination