In a speech delivered in canton, ohio, on june 16, 1918, debs had spoken against capitalism and the war in europe. At the age of fourteen, debs quit high school and was employed as a painter in the railroad yards. Debs, critique of world war i 1918 june 16, 1918, canton, ohio. The speech was delivered in canton, ohio and is known as the canton, ohio antiwar speech. The sedition act of 1798 and the espionage and sedition. Eugene debs delivers his famous antiwar speech at canton, ohio, june 16, 1918. He was arrested on june 30 and charged with ten counts of sedition. Debs, an outspoken critic of the war, was outraged that many radicals, socialists, and members of the industrial. He had been imprisoned in 1918 under the sedition act, for giving a speech against participation in the first world war. His labor union activities began when he was nineteen with the brotherhood of locomotive firemen. Debs, speech in canton, ohio, june 16, 1918 which statement about free speech would eugene v. The antiwar speech that jailed eugene debs for 10 years. Debs, june 16, 1918 view image comrades, friends and fellowworkers.
Debs was an american labor and political leader and fivetime socialist party of america candidate for the american presidency. Debs did when he walked to the stage in canton, ohio, on the afternoon of june 16, 1918, was to gesture toward. Debs foundation, which worked to preserve it as a debs memorial. In 1965 it was designated as an official historic site of the state of indiana, and in 1966 it was designated as a national historic landmark of the united states. Longacre enlarge eugene debs delivers his famous antiwar speech at canton, ohio, june 16, 1918.
On this day, in nimisilla park, the speaker was arguably the bestknown socialist in america. Jun 16, 2018 june 16, 1918 was a warm summer day in canton, ohio. Eugene debs made his famous antiwar speech protesting world war i which was raging in europe. Harding on this day pardoned socialist party leader eugene v. Debs delivering the canton speech, june 16, 1918, canton, oh this is a story about the first amendment to the constitution of the united states of america. Debs delivered his legendary canton ohio speech on june 16, 1918. Mar 27, 2019 eugene debs at canton, ohio winter 201718, vol. Debs leaving the federal penitentiary in atlanta, georgia, on christmas day 1921. Debs the canton, ohio, speech june 16, 1918 excerpts from the original electronic text at the douglass archives of american public address. From 1907 to 1912, debs was the associate editor of appeal to reason, which was published in girard, kansas. Canton, ohio speech made on june 16, 1918 by eugene debs. Eugene debs had led historic strikes and run for president four times on.
Canton ohio speech canton, ohio, june 16, 1918 eugene v. The canton ohio antiwar speech socialist viewpoint. Because of this speech, debs was arrested two weeks later, charged with ten counts of sedition, and sentenced to ten years in prison under the espionage act of 1917. June 16, 1918 was a warm summer day in canton, ohio. Debs internet archive, 2001 transcribedhtml markup. Debs, a native hoosier, was the bestknown american socialist of his time. Debs, labor and socialist leader, delivered the great canton, ohio speech. He supported himself during those years with earnings from his writings and lectures. National archives at chicago, rg 21 on a sultry afternoon in 1918, the tall, lanky hoosier walked up the bandstands steps and surveyed the. Debs who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for his antiwar speech in canton, ohio, on june 16, 1918.
For this speech he was arrested and convicted in federal court in cleveland, ohio under the. But they themselves did not go to war any more than the modern feudal lords, the barons of wall street go to war eugene v. People have a right to be critical of public policy. Jun 23, 2017 june 16, 1918 eugene debs, the famous labor activist and fivetime socialist party of america presidential candidate, gives a speech, opposing world war one. Eugene victor gene debs november 5, 1855 october 20, 1926 was an american socialist.
Going to prison for criticizing the government debs v. On june 16, 1918, debs made a speech in canton, ohio, urging resistance to the military draft. That unusual request was granted, and debs spoke for two hours. Nineteen years later, he organized the first industrial union, the american railway union. This photograph was used as government exhibit number 17 for the prosecution. Comrades, friends and fellowworkers, for this very cordial greeting, this very hearty reception, i thank you all with the fullest appreciation of your interest in and your devotion to the cause for which i am to speak to you this afternoon. The speech was a generic socialist criticism of war. In his speech, excerpted here, debs explained that socialists opposed the war not because they. The antiwar speech that sent eugene debs to prison posted on january 20, 2008 in 00 and 00 and 00 and 00 and 00 and 00 and 00 on june 16, 1918, eugene debs made a speech in canton, ohio in opposition to world war i and was arrested under the espionage act of 1917.
Jun 28, 2018 canton, ohio speech made on june 16, 1918 by eugene debs. He was serving a 10 year sentence for his speech in canton, ohio protesting world war i which was raging in europe. Eugene debs giving an antiwar speech in canton, ohio on june 16, 1918. Ruthenberg, alfred wagenknecht, and charles baker were charged and convicted of aiding, abetting, and counseling alphons j. Debs delivered a speech at canton, ohio, for which he served nearly three years of a sentence of ten years in the federal prison. See more ideas about american union, socialism and get out the vote. Debs did when he walked to the stage in canton, ohio, on the afternoon of june 16, 1918, was to gesture toward the courthouse building.
Jun 15, 2018 when americas most prominent socialist was jailed for speaking out against world war i after winning 6 percent of the vote in the 1912 presidential election, eugene debs ran afoul of the nation. June 16, 1918 eugene debs, the famous labor activist and fivetime socialist party of america presidential candidate, gives a speech, opposing world war one. Debs did when he walked to the stage in canton, ohio, on the afternoon of june 16, 1918, was to gesture toward the courthouse building where he had just been visiting fellow socialists imprisoned for speaking out against the war. Eugene debs made his famous antiwar speech in canton, ohio, protesting world war i which was raging in europe. It is a story which, at its heart, is about free speech.
Debs canton speech, 1918 it is extremely dangerous to exercise the constitutional right of free speech in a country fighting to make democracy safe in the world. National archives at chicago, rg 21 on a sultry afternoon in 1918, the tall, lanky hoosier walked up the bandstands steps and. Eugene debs made his famous antiwar speech in canton, ohio, protesting world war i. The government charged more than 2,000 individuals with violating these laws. He was born in terre haute, indiana, on november 5, 1855. On june 16, 1918, debs made a speech in canton, ohio urging resistance to the military draft of world war i. Debs spoke out against world war i, and all wars, in a speech on june 16, 1918 in canton, ohio. He ran for president in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. Debs, labor leader, politician, and perhaps the nations most famous socialist, delivered the speech excerpted below at the ohio state convention of the socialist party during world war i. Debs, a leading member of the socialist party, gave an antiwar speech on june 16, 1918 in canton, ohio. When americas most prominent socialist was jailed for speaking. In that speech, debs made no reference to the war or president woodrow wilsons conduct of the war.
For this very cordial greeting, this very hearty reception, i thank you all with the fullest appreciation of your interest in and your devotion to the cause for which i. Harding commuted his sentence to time served in december 1921. On june 16, 1918 debs made an antiwar speech in canton, ohio, protesting us involvement in world war i. For this very cordial greeting, this very hearty reception, i thank you all with the fullest appreciation of y our interest in your devotion to the cause for which i am to speak to you this afternoon. For this speech he was arrested and convicted in federal court in cleveland, ohio. Debs, the partys perennial presidential candidate, spoke in canton, ohio, to a group of working people. He left home at 14 to work on the railroad and soon became interested in union activity. June 16, 1918 debs made his famous antiwar speech in canton, ohio, protesting world war i which was raging in europe. Debs began a tenyear sentence in federal prison after having been charged and found guilty of sedition under the espionage act of 1917. Eugene debs delivering his legendary speech in canton, ohio on june 16, 1918. Debs foundation is sponsoring a centennial commemoration of debss speech in canton, ohio, on june 16, at 12 p. When americas most prominent socialist was jailed for. Debs delivered what is perhaps the most wellknown and famous speech of his labor and political career.
Debs attacks capitalist warmongers the socialist party opposed american entry into world war i, calling it a crime against the people of the united states. I would rather a thousand times be a free soul in jail than to be a sycophant and coward in the streets. In 1918, the sedition act made it a crime to make spoken or printed statements intended to cast contempt, scorn, or disrepute cn the form of government or that advocated inter ferenc. The socialist party of ohio had gathered in the city for its yearly convention. Debs gives antiwar speech, gets 10 years in prison. His trial defense called no witnesses, asking that debs be allowed to address the court in his defense. Debs did when he walked to the stage in canton, ohio, on the afternoon of june 16, 1918, was to gesture toward the courthouse building where he had just been visiting.
When americas most prominent socialist was jailed for speaking out against world war i after winning 6 percent of the vote in the 1912 presidential election, eugene debs ran afoul of. Debs delivered an antiwar speech in canton, ohio, at a meeting of the local socialist party on this day. He was arrested under the espionage act of 1917 and convicted, sentenced to serve ten years in prison and to be disenfranchised for life. In each election he won between 3% and 6% of the vote. Because of the speech, debs was charged and found guilty, under the sedition act of 1917 and 1918, of impeding the recruiting of an army.
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