Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-12-28
Special Officer Reprimands
Socialist Leader For Speak
ing Without Permit
REITERATES STAND
Left Yesterday For Indiana Home
Says Plans For Future Are In
definite.

Washington, Dec. 28.-Frced by
President Harding from Atlanta fed
eral penitentiary, >here he was serv-
ing a ten year sentence for making
speeches in violation Of the war laws,
Eugene V. Debs, Socialist leader,
was reprimanded tonight by Union
Station police here for making a
speech without permit before leaving
for his home in Terre Haute, Ind.
Before boarding his train Debs ad-
dressed crowd of several hundred
persons in the station, including ad-
rnirers who had come to say goodbye,
expressing his gratitude for his re-
ception in Washington and closing
with reiteration of his opposition
to war and belief in the force Of love
in the redemption of the world.
No effort was made by uniformed
police in the crowd to interfere with
the address, but Immediately upon its
conclusion a plainclothes man rushed
I'D to Debs and demanded if he had a
permit to speak in the station and,
upon being informed in the negative,
declared:
"You have taken a great liberty"
Debs, who had grasped the plain
clothes man by the hand under the
impression that he was well-wlsher,
apologized and said he had not known
he was doing wrong.
Debs went Immediately to his train,
but considerable excitement prevailed
in the crowd, due chiefly to the et-
forts of newspaper men to learn the
identity of the plainclothes man. He
refused to give his name, but after
l1sker excited pickering With report,
ers declared he was the chief of police
of the Union Station and flashed
badge pinned to his belt. He said ne
had had no special orders with respect
to Debs, but that the regulations of
the station forbid speechmaking with
out permit.
Debs' speech was his first platform
utterance since leaving prison.
"I wish," he said, "to do myself the
justice to return my grateful thanks
for the kindness shown me here.
"Many disagree with me in an eco
nomic and social way" he added, "but
we are all human, and one touch of
nature makes the whole world kin"
Debs declared that he left Wash
ington without trace or bitterness
or hatred" adding that "many hate
me-" but that they were entitled to
their feelings and the expression of
them.
81 believe in free Speech he said.
an the expression Of these differing
opinions we find our way to higher
civilization"
with every drop of blood in my
veins," he concluded, 81 am opposed to
war Human life is too sacred a thing
to be spent in bloodshed. Love is the
gratest force in this world; love will
redeem US, love will save us and write
our names in the depths of civiliza-
ton"
Debs and his party are scheduled to
reach Indianapolis at 1:30 p. m. to-
morrow and proceed from there to
Terre Haute, planning to reach the
Socialist leaders, home at about 7
O'Clock tomorrow night, IN time Tor
demonstration of welcome which is
said to have been arranged for him.
Debs was given the lighted lantern
here today as IAN honest man." Ur-
balm Ledoux, who once sold labor on
an auction block on Boston Commons
and later picketed the "consciences"
of the arms conference delegates here,
made the presentation.
Ledoux called upon Debs at the lat
ter's hotel carrying lighted lantern
and copy of the Sermon on the
Mount He presented the copy of the
sermon to Debs and made a speech in
which he likened the force of the So
cialist leader to the force which NOV
ed mountains.
Like Diogenes, he said, he had been
carrying the lantern in search of an
honest man.
"But since I have met you," Ledouy
said, 81 have no further use for it."
Debs accented the lantern with
thanks, gut declared himself unworthy
of it.