The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-11-27
THE RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH.

The recent actions of the police of
Chicago in breaking up an anarchist
meeting in that city, has caused con-
siderable discussion as TO the right or
wrong OF the matter, by the press. 1t
is altogether probable that the dam
gers resulting from such meetings, as
theone in question. are better realized
in Chicago, in view of occurrences in
the past, than elsewhere. 1t is also
possible, that certain papers in that
city that have been unsparing in their
criticism of the police, have motive
in pandering to the lowest elements
of society.
| Certain it is that the matter in ques-
tion is delicate one TO handle. If the
officers have gone beyond their right
full bounds, and interfered with that
freedom of speech guaranteed by the
federal constitution, then they COM
mitted one of the greatest wrongs
that can be inflicted upon an Ameri-
can citizen. But the guarantee of
free speech does not carry With it the
/ license to plot for the destruction Of
government.
Our constitution provides a way TO
remedy existing ills or evils, and that
is by the ballot. At the ballot box
one man is the equal of any other,
and never was this fact more appa-
rent than it is to-day under the Aus
tralian ballot law To remedy evils
the people have right to assemble
and discuss the best mode for so do
ing. But the denounCing of govern
ment; the advising of force: the max
ing of threats and demanding that
they be carried out; urging the de-
struction of property. does not come
under the head of free speech, but
rather that of revolution. This is not
the way the American people go to
work to right wrongs, nor will they
allow any one to proceed in such a
manner within the borders of the re.
public,
If the followers of the red flag, who
were assembled in the hall raided by
the Chicago police, were keeping with
: in the bounds of the constitution, the
raid was uncalled for. But the report:
are of a nature showing that the meet
ing wasof the most extreme anarchist
: ic nature. The Haymarket riot wa
the direct outcome ofunbridled speech
and the continuance of such meetings
as the reports show this last one t
have been. would in time Lead to a.
fatal results.
America. broad as it is. has no room
for anarchy. and it might as well BIZ
stamped out first as last. II does ne
mean greater liberty, but the destruc
! tion Of civilization. As one contem
plates the chaos that would result
from the success of anarchy he car
easily see where it would prove
greater tyrant than the most absolute
monarchy the world ever saw. Thos
who advocate it are brooding over tn
wrongs Of centuries Of despotism, anl
: have no more conception of the right!
: and liberties Of our great republic
than has the most ignorant inhabitan
of Darkest Africa.
The revival Of the old spirit whicl
existed previous to the riots Of 1856
5 seem to point to plan to make Chi
cago a hotbed Of anarchism, SO as Il
: deter the nations of the old world il
taking part in the Worlds fair, bu
we believe in this attempt, they Sc
lected the wrong location. While tn,
freedom Of speech should not be inter
fered with in any manner it is ais,
true that the freedom and rights O
those who have been invited to parti
cipate in the great Exposition, mus
not in any way be trampled upon b.
any set of red flag revolutionists ex
listing under the sun.
The grain blockade or rather Cal
fcr Co.44I9 nol