Letters of Eugene V. Debs : Volume 1, 1874-1912 / edited by J. Robert Constantine.

Includes index.

Table of contents lists letters in chronological order (pages vii-xxvii).

"Eugene V. Debs's journey from the Hoosier conservatism of his youth to the committed radicalism for which he is best remembered is chronicled in his extensive correspondence. Volume 1 includes a biography of Debs and illuminates his early years as a trade union official and Democratic party politician, and his acceptance of socialism. Debs's first four campaigns as the Socialist candidate for the presidency of the United States are covered here. The three volumes of Debs's correspondence contain more than 1,500 of the 10,000 extant letters to and from Debs during his controversial lifetime. J. Robert Constantine spent more than a dozen years compiling, editing, and annotating this collection. Reading Debs's correspondence with the leaders and foot soldiers of the major social movements of his time helps trace the progress of such struggles as woman suffrage, prison reform, abolition of child labor, early attacks on Jim Crow laws, and opposition to war." -- from the dust jacket.