Question 7 The Socialist labor leader Eugene Debs was an

Last updated: 1/11/2024

Question 7 The Socialist labor leader Eugene Debs was an outspoken critic of U S Involvement in World War I In a speech in Canton Illinois in 1918 he called for resistance to the military draft He was arrested and convicted of encouraging rebellion This excerpt is from his testimony dia his appeal to the Supreme Court hich situation led to Debs s arrest and conviction A B C D I admit being opposed to the present form of government I admit being opposed to the present social system I believe in the Constitution of the United States Isn t it strange that we Socialists stand almost alone today in defending the Constitution of the United States The revolutionary fathers who had been oppressed under king rule understood that free speech and the right of free assemblage by the people were the fundamental principles of democratic government Communist sympathizers had infiltrated the State Department and other agencies U S military failures caused the Wilson administration to expand presidential powers A constitutional amendment outlawed membership in the Socialist and Communist parties Congress passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts that limited First Amendment rights