Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-04-26
"'THE CASE OF DEBS
Congressman Stevenson Discusses Ad-
ministration Precedent.


grafton bill last week, Hon. w. F.
Stevenson, representative of the Fifth
district took fling out of the new ad
mlnistration in connection with its at
tltude toward Eugene v. Debs. His
remarks as published in the Congress
sional Record were as follows:
Mr. Stevenson. Mr.. Chairman and
gentlemen, while we are discussing this
question of immigration 1 think it is
we'll to determine what we are going
to do with a lot of the folks who are
already here. A delegation is today
canyassing this congress in behalf of
what is called amnesty for political Of
tenders. They are placing in the front
rank Of the heroes who should be re-
leased one Eugene V. Debs, who is
confined in the Federal prison in At
lanta. l want to speak few minutes
about that proposition, which con-
slider more dangerous than the flooding
Of. this city with a lot Of people who
want to work for living and who are
starving where they are.
What did Mr.. Debs do when the boys
who have been spoken of here were at
the front, and why is he in prison lin
Atlanta, and why this propaganda
around here to get him out. which is
being circulated in our offices today?
When our boys were facing the crisis
of the war. and when men from your
district and mine were going down by
the thousands every day. Mr.. Debs was
out in Ohio preaching to the working
men, asking them to cut off the sup
plies for our boys and to break up the
lnstrumentalities of this country with
which TO prosecute the war. He said
to them, do not work on anything
that will assist tive boys at the front"
He was in the same position as the
fellow who comes along and finds a
Are set by some incendiary and cuts
the hose Of the fire company that is
:hc only connection with the water
plug. and thereby paralyzes the power
Of. the fire department that Is endeav
oring to save the property by putting
out the conflagration.
And yet but a few weeks ago it was
lntimated that he was to be pardoned.
He was accorded remarkable privi-
lege Of divesting himself of his prison
garb and going to Washington to
present his case to the attorney gen.
eral in person, going back unguarded,
an unprecedented thing it was, as the
attorney general admitted, because
when asked If there was any such
precedent he said there is one now
because we made it. note that the
attorney general at Columbus two or
three nights ago made a speech in
which he said we propose 10 teach
hese people who are unpatriotic that
they must either love this country or
leave It," (Applause). rise 10 ask ii
that was the intention of the attorney
general when he had them turn Debs
out and let him travel 700 miles with
out guard was that an attempt to
induce him 10 love his country or leave
twas he expected TO jump tho game
or fall in love with this country?
(Laughtcr.)
Gentlemen, you can say what you
please, but that proceeding forshadow-
ed the pardon Of Debs. and he has al!
the nfamy that was wrought in that
line while the war was going on. We
had great deal Of fervid cloqucnce
over. Grover Cleveland Bergdoll the
other day. and passed a resolution to
spend $4,000 investigating his case.
Grover Cleveland Bergdoll was a big
baby with more money than brains.
who was made the dupe of Debs and
his crowd by advice that they must not
obey the draft law, and by standing out
and evading the draft law he became
Il criminal. And yet we talk about
bardoning Dcbs and proposing to give
him perhaps Il victory medal ana
special consideration and then spend
$4,000 to get the dure of Dcbs back
here from Germany and turn him loose
under an amnesty proposition.
l regret that the attorney general has
made the statement that he has cs-
tablishcd Il precedent, one that he
would not give to man from my dis
trict who happened to make little
moonshinc liquor and put down at At
lanta-I say they have established q
precedent thai will rise up to curse
them in the. future, because know
men who are In that position.
The Chairman. The time of the
gentleman has expired.
Mr.. Stevenson. Will the gentleman
give me one minute more?
Mr.. Raker. Under the circumstances
1 will give the gentleman two minutes
more.
Mr.. Stevenson. know a rather
prominent citiZen--
Mr.. Herrck. Will the gentleman
yield?
Mr.. Stevenson. Yes.
Mr.. Herrick. The gentleman will
recognize that Mr.. Debs was man
enough to go back To prison.
Mr.. Stevenson. Yes; and can bring