EUGENE DEBS 1855 1926 LABOR ORGANIZER AND SOCIALIST REFORMER DEBS EUGENE 1855 1926 LABOR/LABOR UNIONS POLITICAL PARTIES ECONOMY AND LABOR ELECTIONS AND POLITICS EUGENE DEBS WAS BORN IN TERRE HAUTE INDIANA HE LEFT HOME AT AGE 14 TO WORK ON THE RAILROAD IN 1875 HE HELPED ORGANIZE A LOCAL LODGE OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE FIREMEN HE WAS ELECTED NATIONAL SECRETARY AND TREASURER IN 1880 HE BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED AMERICAN RAILWAY UNION ARU IN 1893 WITH THE ARU DEBS ORGANIZED THE PULLMAN STRIKE IN 1894 HE WENT TO JAIL FOR SIX MONTHS FOR INTERRUPTING A FEDERAL COURTROOM IN 1897 DEBS HELPED CREATE A SOCIALIST PARTY HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1900 1904 1908 AND 1912 AS THE CANDIDATE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF AMERICA IN 1905 DEBS HELPED FOUND THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD BUT RESIGNED WHEN THE GROUP BECAME TOO RADICAL DEBS RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1920 WHILE IN PRISON FOR TREASON HE RECEIVED ALMOST 1 MILLION VOTES MORE THAN HE HAD EVER RECEIVED IN 1921 PRESIDENT HARDING ORDERED DEBS RELEASE BUT HIS CITIZENSHIP WAS NOT RETURNED UNTIL AFTER HIS DEATH
