The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-02-21
LIBERALITY OF SPEECH IN AMERICA
[By Member of Glass ID.

Few people in this country stop to think of the
great liberty of speech which is accorded TO
American citizens.
During the year 1866 there occurred some
trouble between this country and Italy, and
King Humbert protested to Grover Cleveland,
our president. of the course of certain Illustrated
papers in carcaturing his majesty; in fact. some
of them represented his royal highness as grind
ing hand organ. while a monkey went through
the crowd taking up a collection.
Mr. Cleveland in his reply informed his
majesty that the said naughty papers had fire.
quently represented the President of the United
States in sundry ridiculous ways. but as the laws
of the land gave him no censorship over them
they were at liberty to publish anything they
chose And such is really the case: the boot
black on the street has full liberty to criticise
anyone from Policeman O'Leary, to Secretary
of State Gresham The wild and rabid anarcll-
/ iSt has full protection from the government
which he would destroy.
A single copy OF dozens of our newspapers. II
issued in almost any European country would be
sufficient cause to send every one connected
with their publication to prison. or possibly into
exile Think of the Emperor of Germany
raising war talk upon the socialists for refusing
to thank him for saying. My army is ready to
shoot you down." Again the President OF
France resiening his office because few deputies
persisted in voting their own way. | wonder
what they would think were they to hear GOV
Waites lecture on the fat man in Washington
or the speech of Foraker of Ohio, on the rebe
brigadiers. or the opinion of Timan of SOutl
Carolina of his political opponents. Altgelt OF
state rights. PenOyer's thanksgiving prOcla
nation and his advice to Cleveland. or John )
Ingals speeches against every body; they would
certainly think that the English language "a
spoken in America was rich in adjectives.
Our laws. while not by any means perfect, ar
based on common sense and justice. and If ras
Gals are elected to office. it is the fault OF Thu
, voters. the vast majority of whom are laborln
men. and consequently responsible for ever
officer elected. The freedom of the press is al
assurance of liberty. We have seen the pres
take up the cudgels for poor. wandering gir
! against one of the most eminent statesmen ant
orators of the day. While no criminal law ha'
been violated. the universal law of public opinion
of morality had been outraged, and publ
, opinion. through the medium of a free and lndl
pendent press. has buried this hOary libertin
so deep that his eloquent voice will never agail
, resurrect him. The evil of personal wrong dom
by free Speech or the freedom of the press is 81
slight, and the good accomplished so great, tina
there is but little sympathy for the victim.
In the early part of the present century thu
Federalist party, headed by the most brillian
t men of the time, adopted in their platform o
f principles the alien and sedition laws; thes
l., laws were framed to throttle free speech, blu
s the common people rose in their might AM
r buried that party so completely, that no aristo
+ cratic statesmen were left in office; the part
8 died by trying to kill free speech.