Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-11-11
FREE SPEECH, WHAT?
A SENSIBLE COMMENT ON The
SITUATION AT SPOKANE,
Inc inland Observer Sees r;ore Dana.
or and Trouble in Taking the ;. w.
w. Seriously Than would Be Found
II Ihey Were URaislurbed. Lead
erS Take Their food.

The arrest OF a large number of
the |. w. w. agitators for attempting
10 mold meetings on the street cor
ners brings up problem that is like
~ to be troublesome at any moment
unless anticipated-the problem of
free speech.
To begin with, free speech is a
constitutional privilege and the
members of the |. W. w. have as
much right to it as any one else.
The fact that their meetings are
troublesome, purposeless and often
lncendiary is beside the question. No
matter what they propose to talk
about, 1t is undeniable that they have
the right to talk, and, if only they
were allowed to talk, it would very
shortly be found that all their agita-
tion will spend itself in the air.
The danger is not in these meet
1nSs, but in the restraint of them.
Inc world has yet to see serious
revolutionary or anarchistic move
ment brought on through the influ-
ence or absolutely unrestrained free
speech; but continental Europe is
honeycombed with anarchy of the
most dangerous sort, brought about
through the restraint of this liberty.
IN England the right of free speech
is denied to no one; and in the larg-
er cities the public parks are open to
any one who wants to make use of
them for that purpose. The result
is that one is likely to encounter an
enthusiastic demagogue mounted on
goods box in almost any public
park of England, exploiting his IA
vorlte fallacy to an Indifferent and
vanishing audience. But no harm
ever comes from it; and England
has never been threatened by the
reds
This city should make some pro-
vision for public meetings that
would be available to any man who
thinks he has a messags. Some pub
lie square could be easily set
apart for such a purpose, and the
result would be that the would-be
reformer. whose slender purse pre-
vents his hiring hail. could go
to this public rendezvous and tell his
troubles to the tree tops.
Human nature is a perplexing and
often contradictory proposition. Peo-
pie seem most determined to do that
which is forbidden, and, after all
the most healthful restraint is the
greatest possible liberty. There is
much fundamental political phild-
sCphy based on this principle which
is beyond the limits of this present
passing comment. The trouble is,
our constituted authorities are prone
to take many things seriously that
are trifling and unimportant with
in themselves; and it is this imput-
ed seriousness that makes all the
mischief.
No sooner had it been proclaimed
that Spokane would prohibit the
members of the |. w. w. from pur-
suing their favorite occupation than
we find the town flooded with these
gentry, coming from every direction
coming because they know they
are not wanted, and attempting to
make speeches Just because they
have been forbidden to do so. I'm
doubtedly, if the city had advertised
broadcast that the I. w. W. reform
ers, or any other sort of agitators.
might come here and make all the
speeches they pleased to. the whole
tribe of them would have turned
their backs upon us in disgust.
On the contrary, our iails are now
full, the women's organizations are
all stirred up, and our little city,
which already had troubles enough.
has now another added woe. What
la blessing it would be if common
serse We're contagious and some one
would start an epidemic in this COM
munty.-The Inland Observer. Spo-
kane.