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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday February 26, 1921
Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1920:
–Found in Washington, D. C., Pleading for Release of Debs
From Virginia’s Richmond Times-Dispatch of December 15, 1920:
DEBS MUST SERVE TERM,
SAYS PRESIDENT WILSON
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Socialist Leader Not Included in Christmas
Pardons in List From White House.
—–THREE RECEIVE CLEMENCY
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Executive’s Refusal Is Blow to Aspirations of Liberals,
Who Have Been Working to That End.
“Mother Jones” Visits Capital.(By United News.]
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-Two men convicted of murder and one man convicted of selling drugs unlawfully, received Christmas pardons today from President Wilson. Eugene V. Debs, choice of a million citizens for President in the recent election, did not. His ten-year term, under conviction of violating the espionage act, still stands, subject only to abbreviation through good behavior….
The President’s refusal to extend mercy to Debs is a blow in the face for Socialists and liberals all over the country. The Socialist party, as such, has not interceded in his behalf, but individual members of the party have been campaigning consistently ever since the signing of the peace treaty eighteen months ago to obtain Debs’ release. The Bureau of Civil liberties has been the center of activity of others working for pardon for him.
Mother Jones, aged friend of the miners, spent some time in Washington last week working in Debs’ behalf….
It became known recently that Attorney-General Palmer, who has been considered opposed to clemency for Debs, actually had recommended to the President that the grant the pardon. Partly because this fact was rumored among those working for Debs’ release and because of the frequent revival of the report that the President planned to grant the pardon at Christmas time, the general feeling In this city had been that the Socialist leader would be a free man Christmas Day. The statement that this would not be the case, made Thursday by the United News, was a profound shock, and many still clung to hope until the issuance of the pardon list by the Attorney-General’s office Friday revealed only the three names given above.
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[Photograph and emphasis added.]