A Sandburg Stumper

[Rob Wick]

Anita,

You nailed it. It was Eugene Debs. Debs and Sandburg met very briefly in 1908 during one of Deb's many runs for the presidency, but they never had detailed talks until Debs moved to Elmhurst to stay in a sanitarium for his health shortly after being released from prison in 1921. Sandburg and his family had moved to Elmhurst and lived a short distance from the sanitarium.

As for the disagreement, Debs, of course, spent time in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary after making anti-war speeches. Sandburg didn't necessarily like war, but he said that once a nation was at war citizens owed it to basically keep their opinions to themselves. Debs never held Sandburg's views against him and the pair were friends up top Debs' death in 1926.

This is a picture of the two taken in Elmhurst along with Sandburg's daughter, Margaret (Source: University of Illinois Sandburg Digital Collection).



Best
Rob