The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-04-06
CANDIDATE GIVES
VIEWS BEHIND BARS
SOCIALIST CONVICT WILL BE
CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT
OF UNITED STATES

FEDERAL FENl1 Elm IuAIkA, Al
LANTA, Ca ~ do not have to
make a campaign-the United States
supreme court and Attorney General
Palmer are. making it for me-" said
Eugene V. Debs.
The socialist leader, clad in prison
garb of gray jacket and blue coat, and
vet candidate for the presidency OF
the United States, gazed through iron
bars as he talked.
Debs, color-bearer of American So
cialists in four other campaigns, looks
a little older now than on the day OF
his conviction for his opposition to
war measures.
The lines have depend about his
mouth and eyes. He looks a long
time at the new green OF the land
scape beyond the spiked walls.
II am not in prison." he said MY
shirt scars beyond those brown walls.
NV campaign speeches though they
be inaudible are heard across the
land. No, l have not been sup
pressed" n, :,
He talked first of politics. "The U.
s. supreme court has declared that the
u. S. Steel Corporation was not a
trust and annulled the antitrust law.
at declared there was no tax on
stock dividends and the government
cost a billion dollars that would have
hnp11cnc
"Palmer's compromise let the pack
ers escape antitrust prosecution.
"What better campaigning could
have than this 2"
Debs was a hospital clerk here first.
81 liked it," he said. "The inmates
came to me with their troubles. Some
times could help them. Then they
found that / would write letters for
them and this one part OF my work
became so heavy that the prison au-
thorities feared for my health"
The authorities wanted Debs to
spend more time in the open air stock
ade and less time indoors. Finally
thew changed his occupation and
New York lawyer took over the let
ter-writing. -
ale and helped fellow the 9TH
or day." said Debs, and the wlsttul
eyes turned again to the green flelds
outside. "He heard by the same mail
that his wife was a mother and that
he would be arrested when he left
the prison in few days on second
charge. We fixed it up and now he's
free and with her.
But it was of the revolution" that
Debs wanted to talk.
81 don't think I'll be elected presl-
dent, yet each concession OF the re-
dictionaries to the revolutionists makes
them eager for greater concession and
in this fashion the freedom OF the
worker will come"
Talk turned to Russia.
"If it was right for Russia to sus-
pend free speech and free press was
it not also right for the United States
to suspend free speech in your case
during the war;" Debs was asked.
"No," replied Debs. ''The Russian
revolution was forward step. Amer
lean participation in the war was
reactionary step. In suppressing me,
because l was a revolutionist, back
ward step was taken"
Debs speaks of Russia as that
great experiment in democracy" he
defends Lenine and as president would
recognize his government.
The league of nations hardly inter-
ests him.
81 believe in a league of peoples,
he averred. ''This can never be under
a capitalistic system. Governments
profess themselves in favor of
league against war and build their
navies larger and increase their SOL
derry"
when he speaks of his life in the
prison the convict-candidate's voice IS
soft.s
"There are no criminal types" he
said. 'There are thugs, thieves and
degenerates here-made so by cir
cumstances. There are well-develop-
ed, intelligent men here gone wrong
for love of money. None of them
should be in prison. Some should be
in hospitals, others in asylums. They
are the men the world calls danger
Gus. yet not one of them has spoken
unkindly to me and | would not fear
them anywhere.
'Tf the world only knew that love
overcomes hate always and that love
conauers the beast in mani"
His attorney tells Debs that he can
be free on writ of habeas corpus
since, they say, his transfer from
to this prison was not
according to law.
''No pardon for me, but an uncon-
ditional one. I am learning things
here"
Debs has asked his wife not to come
to see him, for he believes that such
a visit, only to have the door close
again between them, would make the
harder for both to bear.