Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-26

throw, change or subyert the govern
ment of the United States"
The folly of this measure will be
seen when you reflect Thai an organ
ization to make every United States
Judge directly responsible to the peo-
pie, would involve a change in the
government of the United States, and,
under the provisions of this section.
would perhaps be declared unlawful.
The sixth and seventh sections of
this bill we give in full, and they
should be carefully perused by every
reader of the REGISTER. They are as
follows:
Sec. 6. That every person who
shall knowingly write, print or pub
lish, or shall cause to be written,
printed or published, any editorial,
article, letter, circular, picture or car
toon, intended and designed to expose
the President Or Vice President of the
United States, any member of the
Presidents cabinet, the Chief Justice
or any Justice Of the Supreme Court
of the United States, to public hatred,
scorn or contempt, shall be deemed
guilty of a crime against the govern
ment of the United States, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished
by confinement at hard labor in the
United States ~penitentiary not more
than ten years, nor less than one year.
Provided that nothing herein shall be
held or construed ito prevent candid,
full q free presentation of public
events and public measures, nor to
prevent just and fair criticism of any
public officer.
Sec. z. That all prosecutions under
this act shall be in the United States
Circuit or District Courts of the dis
trict wherein the crime was COM
mitted.
The proviso that nothing herein
shall be held or construed to prevent a
candid presentation of public events.
and a just and fair criticism of any
public officer, does not amount to
much when it is remembered that the
administration will decide what is just
and fair, and that the United States
courts are personally interested in a
law shielding United States Judges
from criticism.
This law would bring upon us a press
censorship in its worst form. 1t is not
likely to become a law, but when we
reflect that those who enjoy the bene-
fits of monopoly have, in all ages, used
the law to protect them from criticism,
and to prevent the people from being
fully informed as to their character
and work; when we consider that the
money lords are now practically In
possession of the government of this
country-are the government, in fact
and that their continuance in power
depends upon the acquiescence of the
people, and that they dread nothing 80
much as an agitation hat will arouse
them, we may be sure they will work
on the same lines as others who in past
ages arrogated to themselves supreme
power. They will e~ndeayor to pre-
vent agitation by every means in their
power. If they can accomplish it,
they will censor out Of existence every
''Jellow Journal" and every journal
that utters a word of protest against
them or their actions will be a ''Yel-
low Journal" They will suppress
every jawsmith who calls them or their
methods in question.
This is not a time at which it is safe
to sleep. Fifty years ago it was not
supposed that one man could be en-
joined from discussing labor problems
with another when each was a willing
party to the discussion, yet men within
the last year have been jailed for pre-
cisely this ofense. Fifty years ago it
was not supposed a judge would ever,
at the behest of a corporation, enjoin
from exercising their constitu-
tional right to ~peaceably assemble and
discuss their grievances. but this has
been done repeatedly within the last
few years. Fifty years ago the Idaho
bull-pen could not have existed for a
day. II we move forward along the
lines we are now following as swiftly
in the next twenty-five years as we
have iE the last half century, at the
end of that time we may be imprison-
ing young girls for making fippant
remarks about the President, as they
now do in Germany when they make
flippant remarks about William the
Witless.
1t is incumbent upon our Senator'S
and Representatives to proceed in this
with caution. Every safeguard
should be thrown around our officials,
just as safeguards are thrown around
all other citizens-neither more nor
less for a President than a sheriff; for
q Secretary of the Treasury than a
bank clerk. Life, under just law, is
held sacred, regardless of rank or con-
It is as much reason to kill a
constable as a President. Protection
Of life and property does not call for
suppression of free speech and a free
nross The man who pr0r0sas stch On