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Exhibit Guide
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 Faces of Freedom> Eugene V. Debs Debs got his early start in politics serving two terms as city clerk in Terre Haute, Ind., and one term in the Indiana General Assembly. In 1894, Debs was imprisoned for his role in the Pullman Strikes, where factory workers picketed and refused to work after negotiations over declining salaries failed. In the years that followed, Debs became a leader in the socialist movement in the United States and continued to advocate for industrial unions and worker’s rights. He found himself at odds with the American Federation of Labor led by Samuel Gompers, who was also an early leader in the labor movement. Opposed to World War I, Debs began to actively speak out against American involvement. In 1918, Debs was arrested by federal agents for a speech he gave in Canton, Ohio. The charges were under the Espionage Act of 1917, which criminalizes any activities that could injure the country such as interfering with military operations and supporting U.S. enemies during wartime. The government charged him with obstructing the draft. During his trial, he quoted the First Amendment and invoked the name of Thomas Paine and others from the founding generation. Debs said the founders were seen as radicals in their day but paved the way for American progress. “the revolutionary fathers…understood that free speech, a free press, and the right of assemblage by the people were fundamental principles of democratic government.” “…I know enough to know that if Congress enacts any law that conflicts with this provision in the Constitution, that law is void. If the Espionage Law finally stands, the Constitution of the United States is dead.” Debs was convicted under the Espionage Act and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1919 case, Debs v. United States, and lost. During his prison sentencing he told the judge that, “While there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” Debs ended up spending only two years in prison. While in prison, he ran for president on the Socialist Party ticket for a fifth time. Debs is the only person to have ever campaigned for the presidency from jail. President Warren G. Harding commuted Debs’ sentence and he was released from prison in 1921. Debs was also a strong supporter of women’s rights, rights for African-Americans, and was against child labor. Worker’s rights: Unions Unions are still an active part of life in the U.S., however their role and rights have become more controversial in the past several years. Some say that unions have become too powerful, asking for benefits and guarantees that are unreasonable in today’s economic climate. Others argue that unions still play an important role in protecting workers, ensuring fair wages and quality of life benefits. Wisconsin became the public face of the labor rights movement in 2011. In February, Republican Wisconsin governor Scott Walker introduced legislation to limit the collective bargaining rights of public employees. The bill would give local and state government more flexibility in raising healthcare premiums and pensions and prevent unions from taking dues out of employee paychecks. Walker argued that this would help governments balance their budgets. Union leaders and their supporters said the bill would take away their rights to negotiate for fair wages and benefits. The unions said public sector workers shouldn’t be blamed for the state’s budget problems, which are due to of a lack of revenue. The proposal led to thousands of people descending upon the state capital in Madison to protest. Some Democratic senators left the state in protest to prevent the Wisconsin Senate from voting on the measure. Protests erupted in other states where similar bills were introduced. The protests in Wisconsin lasted about three weeks and included some protestors camping at the statehouse overnight. Eventually the legislature passed the bill and Walker signed it into law. The law was challenged in court and upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Third party politics Debs ran for president under the Socialist Party ticket five times. By the mid-1920s the Socialist party had lost momentum on the political stage and eventually faded away. The two main political parties in the U.S., the Republican and Democratic parties have dominated the political scene since the early 1800s. Additional political parties commonly referred to as Third Parties, have faced considerable obstacles to being recognized as legitimate groups in elections. Because of some local and state election laws, third party candidates often face administrative hurdles getting their names on the ballot. They are often not invited or barred from participating in political debates with other candidates. Despite these obstacles, third party candidates have won elections bringing new voices to the governing bodies they serve on. The general struggle for wider acceptance in the political arena, however, still continues. back to Faces of Freedom |
Eugene V. Debs Foundation Eugene V. Debs Foundation Lesson plan: Labor Unions and Working Conditions: United We Stand Library of Congress Illinois Labor History Society Illinois Labor History Society |
