The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-05-14
EBSAPPEALST TO
REASON OF men
Convict 2,253 Outlines Pol
iCies of Socialists as Their
Standard Bearer.


Atlanta. Ga, May 14.-d N. s.
The International News Service, pre-
sents here the first interview with Eu-
| gene V. Debs, nominee of the socialists
party for president of the United states.
and a prisoner in the Atlanta federal
penitertiary.
| Justice, permission was granted a rep
| resentative of the International News
Service to visit Mr.. Debs in prison.
where he is serving a sentence OF ten
years for seditious utterances.
A man in prison clothes OF ianea
denim, with a number to identity him
| as convict 1858, was talking as can
didate for president of the greatest re-
public Apparently oblivious of the
circumstances. he talked earnestly,
precisely, with now and then q hash OF
humor, Of the issues involved In the
presidential campaign -.
The interview was for thirty min
utes, and was held under the. eye OF a
prison guard, who viewed the news
paper man without interest and VINO
seemed concerned only with the hands
- :. Appeal to Review.
THE socialist party" said Mr.. Debs,
will appeal this year 70 men % VINO
think. Economic circumstances .,.sn sur sur,
him into the socialists fold through
sheer distrust of both the older. politi-
cal parties. Out OF all our divisions
and internal squabbles has come good;
for we. the socialists. are unihed ann
our principles are the precepts when
the every day man can understand ana
digest. o,,,a ha
interested in a statement from me;
their primary interest is IN nn,aS nhniah
they can express their distrust ana DIS,
satisfaction with the democratic and
republican parties. ,a
''They can not but distrust the stano
Of the president on the league OF ma
tions. There is Mr.. Wilson's letter to
oregon democrats saying they must ac-
cent the treaty of Versailles as II Is
written. with the league of. nations. II
is plain he wants the death oi hls
league; Acceptanee seist,ops OF .ne .psaiy y so
plainly Impossible that the proposal IN
dicates insincerity.
Never Mustered Majority
"The treaty of Versailles never mus
tered majority vote n n me .,,es sena's'
Reed, when he says the stand OF Mr.;
Wilson for the unqualified approval OF
the treaty means the destruction OF the
democr,s,tie, party; ? Y; There rs no d0uot
apgp1 II look for both OF the. big political
conventions to be very tempestuous'
and in my opinion, both will be bolted.
Hiram johnson will prove very nf-
satisfactory bed fellow to Senator
the democratic. side there are also Srea.
forces working against reaction, ana
the situation In Georgia indicates tne
people are seeking to make themselves
heard.
"I do not think Hoover's name VIII
be mentioned at either convention and
Mr. Palmer has no strength. Ihe
alarmist reports and red raids OF MI,
Palmer, and his failure to appeal the
granted iso. 900 acres of oil lands to
the Sou'hern Pacific railroad. valued
at $500, 900, 600, has killed off whatever
chances he might have had for the
nomination. His settlement s,neGd Sir, 81 the ,e
bad odor with the people.
- Old Parties Dislntegratlng.
Both of the old parties are dis
integrating There Is no fundamentai
difference between the republicans or
the democrats. Both are wings OF the
same san bird Of prey. The republican party
was once red Lincoln was reVolu-
ZIONIST, now he is deified. But Lincoln
would not belong to the, republican
party of today any more than Ihomae
Jefferson would consent to become a
member of the democratic party now In
"PersonaIly,. I an, a radical I have
always been one. My only fear has al,
ways been that I might not be radical
the minority, but I hope to lead a
united socialist party to the polls TINS
fall. They are fighting within my own
party today. It is a good healthy sign,
the radicals keep the conservatives
from giving away too much to popu.
killed the populist party. The leaders
sought to popularizo its political propa-
ganda by pandering to more. conserva-
tive elements. They lost the radical
support Of their party, which hecame
conservatives had no further use for
them. To begin to .placate your enemies
is to invite decay"
,Debs Laughs.
When Mr.. Dcbs was questioned as 10
how he would conduct his campaign, ne
laughed and said:
II will be candidate at home In
retirement. 1t will be much less tire
some and my managers and opponents
can always locate me.
"This is different from the time when
was campaigning throughout the
country followed by detectives and4 ex-
pecting heaven knows what. Now ]
am always in. MY present location is
for the next nine years:
II was suggested that possibly ne
would not serve out his entire term
and that a general amnesty TO wartime
prisoners or even a special pardon In
his case, would come to free him.
'Blessed are they" he said. who
expect nothing. for they will no; he dis
appointed
Traitor In Paimer's Eyes.
'T aur a traitor. no doubt, IN the eyes
OF Atty. Gen. Palmer and the depart
ment OF justice. and perhaps some OF
the American people. But the words
Thou shalt not kill, mean TO me Just
what they say would not kill IN
defense of nv own life. and certainly
would not for hire to some ono else,
Seventy per cent. Of the drafted men
applied for exemption. They were
forced To flght-forced TO go out and
kill--and why?
"As for the German socialists. I con-
denim them just as strongly as do
CAPITALISTS when they surrendered their
principles and Joined the government
to crush the world Principles mean
something 10 me. 7 am against war.
and would go to the gallows without
the slightest uualm NJ fear. preaching
NV opposition to war;
This terminated the interview. Con-
vict 2253. candidate for the presidency
of the United States walked away with
the guard. a tall 1.-the. and vigorous OLD
man. Prison life has been good for the
health OF Debs. The calm and serene
hving within the big walls has given
him the opportunity for relaxation anc
rest from strain that he never found IN
his old l'fe OF vigorous. emphatic. vio-
lent experience.
-. l.