The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-09

ldTdG1Ou OF dAu OOASO
buttons, liberty lives by common
consent and not by writs or articles.
For example, if ninety respected
men in a community of a hundred
men men agree to have nothing to
do with the remaining ten except on
conditions, they limit and prescribe
the liberty of those men. This has
been denOminated social terror, as
distinguished from physical terror
by which in former periods the hui
man race was robbed of its rights,
In this higher day we have this
more suitable form. The stronger
party, or the party leader seeks to
prescribe all opponents and with
contumely, intolerance and abuse
make life unbearable. Men who
love Liberty will not do this. Noble
men will not let it affect them.
There can be no liberty unless
there is liberty of thought and of
speech-and we mean absolute OPP
J DOIIOIllLN NlU11OuU o44D GAASO
whatever save honorable argument
and persuasion. Without such lib
erty our country would fall very
quickly. A free press and a free
platform standing for liberty Of
speech, a free church standing for
soul liberty, a free school system
! standing for freedom to think, a free
ballot standing for freedom to act
upon these is our Nation founded,
and each one of them is an essential
part of a whole.
We need not say that in political
campaigns heretofore men have been
denied the liberty to speak. We need
not say that for twenty five years it
has been difficult to exercise intellec-
tual liberty in discussing questions
and in voting in North Carolina.
We need not say that even now some
who read these lines will resent this
word in behalf of liberty. But we
have this to say, if our people do not
preserve the heritage of the fathers
it will pass away before they know
it. We have already fallen upon a
day when the announcement is boldly
made that this man or that was for
hidden to speak or that some other
was driven out of town, is read with
out protest. Our people have tOlera-
ted this as a necessary evil. They
cannot have been unmindiul of the
the most sacred chapters in their
history, or indifferent to the highest
glory of their State. But they have
now put that apparent necessity be-
hind them. No longer will they
quietly acquiesce in the abrOgatiOn
of the very principle upon which
Nation and Commonwealth rest.
For such Il reason we have protested
against revival of the race issue. 1t
is. time to arouse. 1t makes no differ
ence that men may be considered to
be grossly wrong; the principle is
eternally right, and protects both
the right and the wrong. We plead
for respect for a principle dear to us
all and not for any men.
There is a way to deal with men
who are outlaws and that is by pro
cess of law. There is a way to deal
with men whom you cannot bear to
hear and that is to walk away and
be quiet. To do more is to strike at
the foundation of our liberties. The
fact hat a speaker in the ministry
represents a policy that is wrong
in the opinion of the most
the mightiest, shoull not
weigh at all. To give such facts
weight in the scales against liberty
of speech is to give over ali that the
fathers fought and died for, to yield
religion and country, too. Who
knows on what day he or his chill
dren shall be in d minority who
can tell when the most and the
mightiest shall desire to shut his
mouth and put an end to his liberties?
Give the evil cO%untenance and it will
fasten itself upon you and your chill
dren.
We unjust be done with such poll
tics. We must scorn to use or be
used by social terror or by physical
terror. In Liberty's name and for
our own sakes we must
Honor the man who is willing to
sink
Half his present repute for the
freedom to think;
And when he has thought, be his
cause strong or weak,