eugene debs really was the best in that genre. and in fact, so good that he could afford to charge a modest admission for his audience, and that is how they funded the socialist campaigns. in many cases. and he was just a very charismatic -- he had the ability -- i think he kind of began as a state victorian speaker, but as he became more comfortable over the years, he developed a more modern, impromptu style that really made a tremendous impact on his audience. >> and over your shoulders is debs' library. my understanding is that dropped out of school at age 14, and i am curious about his extensive library, and how she executed himself. >> he was very much self-taught, he began working in the railroad union and was very interested in the literature there. he worked for a little while as a grocery clerk in town. always wanted to get more education but really relied on doing it on his own. >> we are back with nicole hemmer of vanderbilt university talking about the election of 1912. nicole hemmer, talk more about teddy roosevelt an

we featured eugene debs in a 2011 c-span series, the contenders. here's a look at eugene debs. well, many people remember him. most of all, as a as a dynamic speaker. this is an era of wonderful stump speakers who could who could fill two and 3 hours with a speech. debs, many said, was was really the best in that genre. and in fact, so good that he could he could afford to charge a modest admission for his audience. and that's how they funded the the socialist campaigns in many cases. and he was just a he was just a very charismatic and had the ability. i think he began as a sort of staid victorian speaker. but as he became more comfortable over the years, he developed a sort of more modern, impromptu style that really made a tremendous impact on his audience. and over your shoulders is debs, his library and my understanding is that debs dropped out of school at age 14. and i'm curious about his extensive library and how he educated himself. well, he was he was very much self-taught in work, very hard at that. he began as a working in the railroad union was very interested in th

we featured eugene debs in a 2011 c-span series, the contenders. here's a look at eugene debs. well, many people remember him. most of all, as a as a dynamic speaker. this is an era of wonderful stump speakers who could who could fill two and 3 hours with a speech. debs, many said, was was really the best in that genre. and in fact, so good that he could he could afford to charge a modest admission for his audience. and that's how they funded the the socialist campaigns in many cases. and he was just a he was just a very charismatic and had the ability. i think he began as a sort of staid victorian speaker. but as he became more comfortable over the years, he developed a sort of more modern, impromptu style that really made a tremendous impact on his audience. and over your shoulders is debs, his library and my understanding is that debs dropped out of school at age 14. and i'm curious about his extensive library and how he educated himself. well, he was he was very much self-taught in work, very hard at that. he began as a working in the railroad union was very interested in th

upholding the prosecution of people for sedition which means criticizing the government including eugene e. debs socialist candidate for president in the 1920s running from a jail cell because he's been in prison for standing up on a soapbox in saying this is a war for capitalism. it's a mild protests today. he's protesting this illiberal law which part of the car but thest others are part of the cue and -- current document. the law allows you to be imprisoned if you said in a speech that might have the bad tendency to obstruct recruitment. you didn'tob have too tell peope don't enlist or you'll get shot simply by saying this is a bad war might lead some people not to enlist in the court upheld these prosecutions on the idea that any speech that could have a bad tendency should be stopped. homes joined in the decision that upheld the prosecution of some of these. over the summer in the 1920s he is moved by love you article by the great harvard law professor zachariah chaffey. it was the most stringent protection for free speech would allow him into fire in a crowded theater convincing that homes

including eugene v debs.andidate for president in 1920 who is running from a jail cell because he has been in prison for basically standing up on a soapbox and saying this they were for capitalists. we would consider it the mildest kind of protest today but he is imprisoned under this extraordinarily illiberal law which is not the biggest part of it but the other at the center -- document prosecutions about president trump but the law allowed you to be imprisoned if you said any speech that might have a bad tendency to obstruct recruitment. so you do not have to tell people don't enlist or get shot simply by saying this is a bad war, it might lead some people not to enlist. and the court uphold these prosecutions on the idea that any speech that could have a bad tendency should be suppressed. holmes initially joined those decisions and in fact upheld the decision of some of these antiwar critics but over the summer in the early 1920's he reads and he thinks in his particular moved by a law review article that