To speak for labor; to plead the cause
of the men and women and children who toil;
to serve the working class,
has always been to me a high privilege;
a duty of love.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 13, 1918
Cleveland, Ohio – Eugene Debs Addresses the Jury
From The Milwaukee Leader of September 12, 1918:
Jury in Eugene Debs’ Trial
on Free Speech Gets Its Instructions:
Former Candidate for President Makes Address in Own Defense,
Refusing to Retract Anything Uttered in his Canton Talk—
Case Will Be Appealed if Jury Returns Verdict of Guilty.
by J. Louis Engdahl
Comrade Debs at Canton, June 16, 1918
(CLEVELAND) — Federal Judge D.C. Westenhaver Thursday instructed the jury in the case of Eugene V. Debs, national Socialist leader, charged with making disloyal utterances.
The jury is expected to retire by noon or before.
Westenhaver defined the four counts on which Debs is being tried. They are:
-Caused and attempted to incite insubordination, disloyalty, and mutiny and refusal of duty in the military and naval forces of the United States.
-Obstructed the recruiting and enlistment service.
-Provoked, incited, and encouraged resistance to the government.
-Opposed the cause of the United States at war with Germany.
There is a penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine on each count.
True patriotism hates injustice
in its own land
more than anywhere else.
-Clarence Darrow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 28, 1917
Everett, Washington – Editor Watts Warned of Warrant
From The Northwest Worker of September 27, 1917:
HOW THEY LOVE US
We are informed by “Red” Doran I. W. W. organizer, that he has seen a warrant that has been issued for the arrest of ye editor [H. W. Watts], three other Socialists and four I. W. W. It seems too bad that the authorities will persist in disturbing us from our peaceful pursuits. We have been in jail four times already and if they keep it up it will soon be like home to us. Guess we must be too autocratic and they want to get us out of the way in order that America might be “made safe for Democracy.” We know, dear reader, that you are sick and tired of hearing that term, but it is the only string the jingoes have on their fiddle and we want to help them fiddle it so that it will wear out.
The industrial organization of the working class
is the foundation of the Socialist movement,
and without it Socialism is impossible.
-Eugene V. Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 13, 1916
Terre Haute, Indiana – Debs for Revolutionary Economic Organization
From St. Louis Labor of August 12, 1916:
On the Proposed National Platform
by Eugene V. Debs
Terre Haute, Ind., August 4
Every member ought to read carefully the draft of the new platform of the Socialist Party recently submitted to the party membership for final action. The importance to the party and to our propaganda of a sound platform, a clear and ringing declaration of what the party stands for and what it stands against, cannot be overestimated.
