Eugene Debs
By Rosalia Rodrigue
He was an American union leader and founding member of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) though he eventually split from union
He was also instrumental in founding the American Railway Union, group that went on strike due to Pullman Strike
Debs had been put in jail in 1919 due to his violation of the Espionage Ac, a violation took place when he denounced U.S. participation in WW1
While in jail he wrote articles, column, and a book about how poor the prison system was
He ran for presidency 5 different times, once in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and the last one was in 1920 from his prison cell
President Woodrow Wilson called Debs “a traitor to his country” because of his denouncement of the U.S. participation in WW1, though his was sentence was commuted by President Warren G. Harding 3 years later