New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-14
DebsN On1i1ated
Amidst Ovation
OF Is Minutes
Socialists Bearing Red
Flag Parade Convention
Hall in Demonstration
to the PrisOner-Candidate
Hailed as New Lincoln
Seymour Stedman Named
for the Vice-Presidency:
Hillquit Platform Wins

With demonstration lasting TWENTY
five minutes, the Socialist party OF
America, in convention at Finnish Hall.
yesterday named Eugene v Debs as it's
candidate for President Of the United
States.
Debs is serving a ten-year sentence
at Atlanta for violation Of the espionage
act. His nomination marks the first
instance in the history of the United
States when the name Of person con-
hned behind prison bars was presented
to the people as a. candidate for the
chief magistracy of the nation.
Seymour Stedman, of Chicago, was
named for Vice President
Lincoln of the Wabash"
Hailed as the "Lincoln of the Wa.
BASH" Debs's name was placed in nom-
lnation by William H. Henry, of Indi-
ana, who visited him recently in his
cell. The nomination was seconded by
delegates from Illinois, New York and
Wisconsin. Among those who made ad-
dresses seconding the nomination were
Victor Berger, who declared he first
converted Debs to socialism when
Debs was imprisoned in Woodstock jail,
in Illinois, for violation of an injunc-
ton issued against him in the famous
A. R. U. strike in 1894.
Morris Hillquit, in seconding the
nomination, declared "the Socialist
party nominates Debs as challenge
to the rotten system and administra-
tion which sent him to Jail" He hailed
Debs as "the only person living that
approaches tbs figure and the personal
ity of the Nazarene."
For. twenty-five minutes following
the nominating address delivered by
Henry a wild demonstration ragged in
the hall, closely packed by delegates
and visitors. Again and again the
demo stration broke forth. When a
lfe-size portrait of Debs was placed
upon the platform the demons tration
broke forth in still greater energy,
while delegates, seizing the signs of
their respective states from the tables,
paraded through the hall. Both dele
gates and the audience sang revolu-
tionary hymns, among them the MAR
seilaise" and the "Internationale."
The conclusion of each song was the
SlRlldI lOF new OuIDuTSC OF CneerlNR
for Debs, and wild applause. 1t was
with great difficulty that Justice Jacob
Panken, of the Municipal Court VINO
presided, was able to restore order and
permit the convention to continue its
business. So high did the emotion
aroused by the various speeches run
that many delegates to the convention
wept.
Red Flag Is Waved
}. Lewis Enghald, a leader of the
Left faction, paraded up and down the
hall waving a red flag, while Delegate
Coop, of Illinois, one of the oldest del
egates to the convention, led in repeat
ed renewals of the demonstration.
James O'Neal, of New York, mem
Der of the national executive commit
tee of the party and. one of its most
active leaders, compared the nomna-
ton of Debs to that of Abraham Lin
coin. He declared that Gust as Lin
coin was the leader and symbol Of a
new order in the United States, SO is
Debs the embodiment of the movement
for the complete reorganization of the
social structure now prevailing."
He said that it is no disgrace for
Debs to be confined behind prison bars.
He compared him to Thoreau, who,
when jailed for his opposition to the
Mexican War, was visited by Ralph
Waldo Emerson and asked by the lat
ter why he was in jail, asked Emerson
what he was doing outside.
Just as the cross on which Christ
CONTINUED page three)