New-York tribune., 1921-04-02
No ardon for Debs
A Reply to John Spargos Letter IN
His Behalf

| To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: ! beg leave to answer the le.-
Ter Of John Spargo appearing in yester-
days Tribune. Mr.. Spargo asks that
Mr.. Debs be pardoned and makes sew
eral arguments in his favor. M.
Spargo says that Debs is mot crimi-
nal" That is an astounding statement,
for it virtually accuses our government
Of putting an innocent man in prison.
If Mr.. Debs is not criminal, what is
he? What is crime7 Webster thus
defines it: "An omission Of a du.y
commanded, or the commission of an
act forbidden, by public law" And a
criminal is defined thus: lone who has
committed crime, especially one found
guilty" Debs comes within the defni-
ton.
Mr.. Spargo says that the sentence
imposed on Debs is cruelty vindic-
! tive" excessive and out Of all proper.
tion to the offense committed"
W AA"O WOO SiiAb OnCIiSe tolluplJ lE-ee
The great American Republic was in
a death grapplc with the most efficien.
and at the same time the most barbar-
Gus autocracy in history. While the
life Of our Republic-nsy, the life OF
free government everywhere was
hanging in the balance, wha. did Debs
do? It would have been unpardonable
for him to have even remained neutrs.
in such struggle. But Debs did mors
than remain neutral. He actually d9
stab Uncle Sam in the back.
The enormity OF Debs's ofense mighs
be batter understood II we were to 4.
quire what would have happened i.
Debs had succeeded in hl. attempt to
cripple our prosecution Of the war
Imagination would stasger at the cor
sequences! We would to-day be pay
ing tribute to the Hehenzo.lern dy
nasty in Berlin! "The fundamenta
ideals Of America" which Mr Spargo
is SO much concerned about, wouid
have been trampled under the Prussia,
heel if Mr.. Debs's efforts had been sue
cessful, and the millions OF brave me-.
who laid down their lives tha. human
freedom might live would have die
in vain If Mr. Debs had had his way.
Mr.. Spafgo ssks for the pardon o'
Debs. Nov, pardon is predicated upon
repentance. At no time has Mr. Debs
indicated that he has repented Of his
crime. On the contrary he has asserted
that he would do 30 again under the
game circumstances. To the jury that
convicted him he said: ~ have been
accused Of obstructing tho war.
admit IT," In Cleveland, on March 10,
1919, in his last public address before
going to prison, after referring t.
Lenine and Trotzay as the "Yoremoss
statesmen OF the age he chsrscter-
ICED the judges Of the United States
Supreme Court as "begowned. bewhis
kered, bepowdcred old fossils" and ez
pressed delight in having done whar
he did.
This is the man. by what law Or
morals is he entitled to be pardoned'
No, Mr.. Spargo, neither his convictscn
nor his retention in prison is any
stain upon Che fair name OF Amer
can democracy" ss you contend
Rather. stain is being sought 20 b.
put there by those who are asking Us
90 pardon man, not because he hss
rspented. not because he admits his
mistake, but apparently simply because
OF the terrible conception that those
who sought to destroy the Republic or
whose acts, Il successful. were caleu-
lated to destroy it were either not
guilty Of any. crime at all or, q. worst,
guilty only OF trivial offense that
should be readily pardoned even with
out repentance!
RICHARD MAgLOwE.
Elmira. \. y. March q, 1871.