Eugene V. Debs
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Eugene Victor Debs (1855-1926) was a liberal American trade union leader and politician. He founded the Industrial Workers of the World (the 'wobblies') and was Socialist Party of America candidate for the presidency of the United States on five occasions. This was a time in America's history when liberals could be imprisoned for their beliefs, so Debs was sentenced ten years in prison and disenfranchisement for life under the Espionage Act of 1917 for his outspoken opposition to World War I. The Presidential campaign he ran from prison in 1920 gained him the most votes (913,664 votes, or 3.42 % of the votes cast [1]) of any socialist party presidential candidate.
References
- ↑ 2001 New York Times Almanac, New York Times, 2000