Question

after denouncing american participation in wo
war i, eugene debs was convicted of violating
the sedition act of 1918. he addressed the court
upon his conviction.

adapted from statement to the court
by eugene debs

i listened to all that was said in this court in
support and justification of this prosecution, but
my mind remains unchanged. i look upon the
espionage law as a despotic enactment in
flagrant conflict with democratic principles and
with the spirit of free institutions.

i have stated in this court that i am opposed to
the social system in which we live; that i believe
in a fundamental change-but if possible by
peaceable and orderly means.

standing here this morning, i recall my
boyhood. at fourteen i went to work in a railroad
shop; at sixteen i was firing a freight engine on a
railroad. i remember all the hardships and
privations of that earlier day, and from that time
until now my heart has been with the working
class. i could have been in congress long ago; i
have preferred to go to prison.

i am thinking this morning of the men in the
mills and the factories, of the men in the mines
and on the railroads. i am thinking of the women
who for a paltry wage are compelled to work out

4

which sentence from the passage best demonstrates the authors use of an appeal to ethics
through self - praise?

a. in very truth gold is god today and rules with pitiless sway in the affairs of men.
b. i remember all the hardships and privations of that earlier day, and from that time
until now my heart has been with the working class.
c. at fourteen i went to work in a railroad shop; at sixteen i was firing a freight
engine on a railroad.
d. i could have been in congress long ago; i have preferred to go to prison.

Explanation:

• Option A: This statement is a general critique of the influence of wealth (gold) and does not involve self - praise.
• Option B: This is a statement about the author's connection to the working class based on past experiences, not self - praise.
• Option C: This is a factual account of the author's early work life, not self - praise.
• Option D: By saying "I could have been in Congress long ago; I have preferred to go to prison", the author is praising his own moral choice (preferring prison over a potentially more comfortable or powerful position in Congress) which is an appeal to ethics through self - praise.

Answer:

D. I could have been in Congress long ago; I have preferred to go to prison.