The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-12
FREEDoM FoR DERs.


V. Debs will be released from prison
on Thanksgiving day. Probably no.
body desires that Debs should remain
longer shut off from association with
his fellow men. He is not a bad man;
he simply is misguided. Soon, it may
become necessary again to lock him
up but always he is easy to catch. He
does not try to escape the conse-
quences of his wrongdoing. It is
hoped that he will so conduct him
self for the remainder of his life. that
it will not again be necessary for the
courts to take cognizance of his
speech or acts.
Debs is being punished for opposing
the efforts of the United States to
raise an army in defense of its rights
and its honor. His first clash with
the federal government came in 1894.
In the spring of that year, a United
States judge ordered the receivers Iof
a great railway system to restore to
the old, and much higher rate, the
pay of all the employees. This put
fuel on the flame of labor's ambition.
Later, strike started at Pullman.
This strike spread to all the railroads
centering in Chicago, and then to the
far west. Trains were wrecked, mails
stopped, mobs destroyed property.
The then governor of Illinois was an
avowed anarchist; he protested
against the use of force by local au-
thorities. He refused to use state
troops. When President Cleveland
sent United States troops to quen the
disturbance. he protested and asked
their immediate withdrawal. Things
grew so bad that the strikers refused
the dying in the Chicago hospitals.
Debs ordered out all workers. saying
in his proclamation, 'I appeal to you
to lay down the implements of toll
and use the power of your aggregate
number. And you are further re-
quested not to return to your usual
vocations until settlement of the
pending trouble"
On July 4. 1894, Debs, as head Of
the American Railway union, issued
this proclamation: 1.-The first shot
fired by the regular soldiers at the
mobs here will be the signal for a
civil war. I believe this as firmly as
I believe in the ultimate success Of
our cause. Bloodshed will follow and
90 per cent of the people OF the
United States will be arrayed against
the other 10 per cent. And I would
not care to be arrayed against the la
boring people in this contest. or find
the struggle is ended. I do not say
this as an alarmist, but calmly and
thoughtful1y"
Those words were spoken twenty
seven years ago. America was in a
crisis. Europe believed our govern
ment on the eve of a collapse; certain
newspapers in England openly pre-
dicted our downfall.
In 1894. when we were declared to
be on the eve of collapse, our ma
tional wealth was IS billion; today it
is 800 billion. And we have grown
in like proportion along all lines. Fur
Their, after this day of supposed col
IdDEEg VIC SLaLLGu " IlAdh6 CCAl6tAl-
how we progressed is shown by the
fact that the value of Portland ce-
ment in 1894 was 1 u million dollars.
now it is 125 million dollars. Since
our predicted collapse we began
building automobiles. In 1894 we
built 3.40O, with a value of $4,750.000.
Last year our production was 2,205,-
1877, valued at 3 u billion dollars. And
since the 1894 obituary was written
by the labor leader quoted, we have
built OF cars and trucks 11,S39,4S3,
and today have in use over 9 million
motor cars, individual units of power
fitted to carry freight or passengers,
over one million miles of new roads
constructed since that dark day in
1S94-constructed out of the cement.
an industry that has come into exist
ence since our downfall was pro-
nounced by the man who said he had
80 per cent of the American people
with him.
With the experience of those nearly
thirty years before him, It may be
that Debs will be content to permit
the government to proceed In its ac-
customed way without attempting to
interfere with it. No man can afford
to clog the wheels of orderly govern
ment. They may revolve slowly at
times, but they revolve.
4 United States court OF appeals