The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-10-21
EUGENE DEBS i
PASSES AWAY
DURING NIGHT
Confined from paee one.)

in addition to his wife, the Socialis
leader is survived by brother
Theodore. Of Muncie, Indiana, and twt
sisters. Mrs. John s. Heinl, TER,
Haute, and Mrs. C. @. Mailloux, New
York.
Eugene v. Dcbs was dominated BIZ
two important factors in life. He
loved his fellow men and remained
firm in his convictions, suffering the
consequences, but still unfolding the
pr'""irlcs for which he fought.
While in the federal prison at At.
lanta. va, charged with obstructinR
the draft during the world war, an
interviewer asked what had been hi.
greatest experience in prison life and
he replied:
II have discovered that love is ON
nipotent All the forces on earth can
not prevail against it. Hatred, war,
cruelty, greed and lust must all give
way before it. 1t will overthrow all
tyrannies. It will empty all prisons.
IT will not only emancipate the
human race eventually but to q great
extent it lifts US individually above
the struggle while we are in the thick
of the fight for human brotherho God. :"
A native Of Tcrre Hautc, Ind, born
on November 5, 1856, he remained q
resident of that city and obtained his
first railroad position - locomotive
fireman on the Terre Haute & In
dianapolis railroad, working from 1871
to 1874. The next five ycars he was
employed in \ wholesale grocery
tho call Of railroading.
His Start In Politics
Debs first came under the political
scarchlight in 1879, when he served
as city clerk at Terrc Hautc, Ind,
1855 he was elected to the Indiana
Legislature.
Debs opened his labor activities in
1880 when he was chosen grand Sec
rotary and treasurer Of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Nremen and
served till 1893. As president of the
American Railway Union he directed
and won strike on the Great North
crn railway early in 1894. and in the
same year while managing the strike
Of the western railroads. he was
charged with conspiracy, but was
acquitted. This was the first time
his name was in court records as a
defendant. lie served his first Jail
sentence 1T Woodstock, H., where he
was held for six months on q con
tempt Of court charge for violation
of an injunction.
The American railway strike. which
paraly2ed traffic in the west, had
been broken. .howevcr, by the inter
vention Of President Cleveland, who
ordered federal troops to guard the
trains. Released from Jail Debs urged
the workers to "scll your shovel and
buy Il gum" and announced he would
onsno hic 1tfo - &hnsr arm !.
tion. He become Socialist lecturer,
writer and organizer and travelled all
over the United States.
From that time on Debs, the Social
ist, rallied round him all the strength
the party could muster. In 1900, his
first campaign for the presidential
chair, he pollcd 1854 votes: in 1912,
9Ol, 1879, and in 1920 nearly 1000, 900.
And SO his popularity grew. Cndaunt-
ed by penitcntiary sentence, the
Socialist party nominated him as its
standard bearer while he was pris-
on.r in the federal pcnitentiary at
Atlanta, Ca, serving a ten-year SEN
tcncc for violation Of the espionage
act during tho war.
Speech Brought Arrest
Dcbs' conviction came as the re-
suit of speech he made at Canton,
O., in 1913, in which he attacked the
governments part in the war and as
sailed the terms of the selectivc scrv-
ice act under which the American
army was being raised. He was found
guilty in September. 1918, of trying
to obstruct the draft and was SEN
fenced by Federal Judge David c.
Westenhavcr TO ten years in the
Moundsvillc, w. Va, pcnitentiary
v1oLs ,,,oIo offnwf nrovouf ~
imposition of the penalty. John
Brown Of OssawatOmic was his ia
voritc cxcnrplar. He offered no evil
dcncc in his own defense and made
his own address to the jury, an add
dress characteristic of his style. just
Il clear statement of the facts as he
upheld them. To the jury he said:
II have no dispute with the evil
dcncc presented by the government;
no criticism Of the counsel for the
prosecution. would not take back Il
word of what ! believe right to save
myself from the pcnitentiarY. am
accused of crime, hut look the court
in the face, look tho jury in the
face, l look tho world in the face, for
in my heart no accusation OF wrong
testers.
"Gcntlemcn, I have been accused of
obstructimg war. | admit it. gentle
men; abhOr war. I would oppose
the war il stood alone"
Although Dcbs made no effort to
resist penalty, his friends rallied to
his support and the fight to save him
was carried to the United States
supreme court, which, on March 10,
I919,' upheld the conviction. He was
taken TO Moundsville on April Is,
1919, and few months later was
transferred to Atlanta, Ga.
Still In prison D0ba, made no CT
forts to obtain his release, but his
friends worked INCREASINGLY in his be-
half. President Wilson on several &C.
casions was petitioned to pardon
Debs, but refused on the ground that
it would seriously affect tho morale of
the people. The last time such petit
ton was backed by an inquiry by the
department of Justice and recon-
mendation to the President by At
torncy General Palmer that Debs be
released on February IL, 1921, Lin
coins birthday. The president again.
however, declined to grant the
Sentence COmmuted
,Dcbs' followers then pinned their
hope on the Harding administration.
Their leader finally was released from
the pcnitentiary Christmas Day, 1872,
his sentence having been committed
by President Harding along with
those Of % others convicted on var
ious charges OF having hindercd the
government during the war. The
presidents action did not restore
Debs' citizenship.
During his confinement in the
federal prison Debs never whimpcred
over his sentence, never asked for
favors nor for his release. Proof that
tho government trusted him was evil
dcnccd when, several months before
his pardon Was granted, at the request
Of Attorney General DAuGherty, he