The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-02-05
Woodrow Wilson Refuses to
Commute Ten Year Term
yg of Debs
CONDUCT DURING WAR
BARRIER TO ACTION
Chief Executive Takes Position
That Socialist Leader Sought
to Handicap Government
During Period of Stress and
Clemency Might Encourage
Others

Washington, Jan. 31.--Recommen-
dation by the department OF justice
that the ten year sentence OF Eu-
gene W Debs. long a prominent So
ciaiist leader and now serving a SEN
tence at Atlanta for violation of the
war time espionage laws. be COM
muted elective February ,l2 next.
Lincoln's birthday. was rejected to-
dny by President Wilson and COM
mutation refused.
The decision of the president came
as no surprise because OF his previous
ref'isals to Intervene i'm the case on
the grounds tina. Debs sought TO
handicap the government through OPP
position to the seloctive service act
during the war. and that the grant
Ing or clemency I'm this case might
induce similar tactics on the part or
others In the event OF another war.
The case was reviewed by a special
board now taking up all convictions
under the espionage act and their
findings were Endorsed by Attorney
General Palmer. The findings are un-
derstood TO have put Debs eligible for
parole on August 0.
The recommendation Is understood
to have suggested that Debs had been
adequately punished.
Petitions were presented several
mopths ago by union labor and So
cisllst leaders asking for the release
~ the man now 66 years old who
four times has been "a candidate for
pftetdent OF the Urtted States. The
case has been consistently and BIZ
teriy fought both In and out Of the
courts ever since Debs was indicted
and then convicted by federal Jury
az CLEVELAND. Ohio. September 12,
1918, for violation OF the espionage
nct. Specifically the charges against
him included attempting to incite in
suhordination In the military forces
and obstructing recruiting. The case
was appealed to the supreme court
OF the United States. which sustained
the lower court on March 10. 1919.
Chicago. Jan. 3l.--The Socialias
party. through It's national organiza-
tions In Chicago. issued "a statement
today on the refusal OF President VIII
son TO pardon Eugene v. Debs and tn e
supreme cour. decision i'm the Berger
case.
THE supreme court I'm ordering a
new trial for Victor Berger, j. Lewis
Engdahi. William r.. Kruse, Adolph
German and Erwin ST. John Tucker
confirmed what the Socialist party
has maintained since the trial that
the five Socialist officials were tried
and convicted i'm an atmosphere Of
hysteria and prejudice that made a
fair trial impossible.
The Socialists asserted three years
nSo. when the men were indicted, and
repeated two years ago, at the time
or the trial. that the men were being
punished not for specific acts, but
solely and only for their work as
members and officials OF the Socialist
party
I'm other words. the Socialists de-
clare that the prosecution OF the five
men. together with the prosecution
OF Eugene V. Debs and other espion-
axe cases. were political trials. and
that the men are bcing punished tor
political opposition to- the dominant
political party and for no other oil :
fensc.'
The statement applauded the su-
preme court decision as far as II re-
lated To Judge lands and attacked
the motives OF that jurist. IL then
turned to the Debs case. asserting
that President Wilson had refused To
recognize the fact that the hystcria
OF the war period is over and that
savage punishment for political her
csy Is out OF da.e."
Political trials. political prisoners
and punishment for political hercsy
have always been out of place i'm
America, ard this country will be "A
better place to- live in when that
chapter IL closed" said the conclud-
ing sentence OF the statement.