The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-04-23
is EUGENE Y. DEBS A
CITIZEN?,
BY ellison Gardner

Federal authorities are plainly averse to a legal
.esC Oh me question whether Eugene " Debs has
have to face it,
When Debs was released from Atlanta penitentiary
"here he served hrtytwo months for expressing his
oPohS ABOUT our going into the war, he granted
communication Of sentence not a pardon A pardon
would have restored rights citizenship He decnsd
then to ask for pardon and he declines now To make
SucH request taking the position that he violated
any law and therefore there nothing to ask pardon
for f '0--
The matter is not important so far as the peace If
mho or physical wellbeing Of Mr.. Debs is concerned
Ihere is no intention to question Debsw digit to re-
turn from Bermuda where with Mrs Debs he has been
seeking health.
Assistant Secretary of Labor w. W Husband. IN
charge Of immigration enforcement says there never
has been any question Debs right to return from
bermuda There is n presidential proclamation which
supplements the socalled quota act" which declares
that residents Of the United may visit Canada
Mexico cuba and nearby island without passports and
without reference to the immigration acts
What, then the rights Of citizenship Of
which Debs is supposed to have been deprived? Par
don Attorney Finch who has served thirty years as
specialist in these lines for many succeeding attorneys
general, says, 'Debs lost civil rights under fbe
Federal law by reason Of his conviction It is very
probable that he did lose, indirectly, by the operation
or the law OF the State OF Indiana certain rights
chief of which the right office which NAV or
may not include the right to vote"
1t IS this uncertainty to citizenship rights" in
general that friends Of Debs and Of civil liberty want
cleared up Under what law provision of the Con
suuton does lose his citizenship or his right
~ NOle OF HOld ONCE by cOnVlcton under Federal
statute?
This question has been addressed by Morris Hill
quit OF New York to Attorney General Sargent with
special reference to the Debs the office Of the
Attorney General it is reported that such letter
mas been noted. Certainly Mr. Sargent has dictated
no reply. This is not surprising, a Mr. Donovan is
the real attorney general and Mr. Sargent has child
like absence Of information to all matters pertain
ing to his office. Mr.. Donovan the antithesis of
Mr. Sargent but he is ignorant officially also of the
Debs controversy.
A writ may bring the matter into court
In Congress a bill has been introduced by Victor
Berger TO re-admit Debs all the rights and nrIy
leges of citizen Of the United States"
"Depriving Mr. Debs of a right to vote is no prac-
tical hardship on Mr.. Debs," said Mt Berger "Debs
can be candidate for President he is still in iail
and can receive the endorsement hundreds Of thou
sands of his fellow citizens elected President II is
likely the law would be altered, which might stand in
the way of his taking the Office But after all the mat
ter is very important as a matter of principle We
want to know by what right it is assumed that
political prisoner is deprived of any Of his rights for
exercising his plain constitutionau rights
Il have no doubt that the time will come In this
country when 1t will be regarded an honor to have
had the experience Debs had. In England there are
twentythree members of the present Parliament who
served wartime sentences in prison They have or
ganized their jailbrd club ther regular an
nual dinner"