The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-22
ADoN YoDER AND FREE SPEECH.

luder Is matter Tor general conEratulhtloh "P"it
from and beyond the fact of whether his course
il approved or disapproved, Whether his pub
Iication il sensational for the sake Of sensa-
tion. or whether the sensation Is incident to
strong and sincere purpose is matter entirely
irrelevant to the real issue. That issue was so
framed by the facts of his trial and conviction
that il was resolved into the bare question of the
! preservation of what people generally have come
to consider one of the few rights of liberty not
compromised by multiplicity of the laws. Can
man tell the truth even if it be unlovely truth
Can be. regardless of whose taste he offends,
whose prejudiees he may invite, still exercise the
right OF speech These are the questions which
Court Of law has. in quashing the Indictment
against Yoder, happily answered i'll the affirma-
tive.
We are glad, therefore, that what we consider
to have been the monstrous theory upon which
Yoder was tried in the Police Court has found
no standing in a court concerned more with tho
application Of the law than with the expression
of personal feeling. It is victory for the com
mnnitv worth infinitely than Adon A.
Ioder's individual liberty, that the sinister
precedent launched in has case has been thrown
In the discard of legal rubbish. Richmond is
comparatively little concerned about 1oders
fate: it is much concerned that Yoder. unlovcly
as his course may have been and deeply it
may have offended the instincts of good taste,
should for those very reasons be the more care
fully protected in his rights as a man to the
equal protection of the law.
Because Y oder issues a pamphlet In which he
has seen til to print on yellow paper the saffron
life of the Sums because he has fit TO
to dwell on vice, to picture sin, to drag forth
into light all the familiar slime of the moral
sewers of cities is no reason why, long
4 as he speaks the truth and can manage to
finance his publication, his act is crime.
On the contrary to hold him to crome is
itself a crime against the liberty of the press,
often abused, often made the vehicle of inlus-
tice and indecency. but, after all that, still the
hulwark of liberty between the people and OPP
preston For doing these things Yoder was ar
rested and dignited with the charge which De
mosthenes made famous''the corruption of the
youth. How ridiculous this was, il needs only
to know the insigniticance of Yoder and the
precocity of the youth whom he was supposed to
evilly influence Unfortunately, nothing that
Yoder has said is news. either TO the public or TO
the .,youth'' 1t has simply been catering to
the instinct TO gloat on the narration of salaciy
and vice that never seem to lose in interest by
reason of their familiarity. Whether for policy
Or otherwise it is due Yoder in justice to say
that his publication has been only incidentally
salacious in itself. It's indecencies have been de-
scriptive of evils which he has denounced and for
whose suppression he has cried out. In going
far, he is we'll within his rights, whatever one
may think Of his policy or motives.
AT the time of his trial oder charged that the
purpose of the unique prosecution that was
brought against him simply and solely the
suppression of his pamphlet. 1t must be said
that many circumstances tend to bear him out
in this statement. II has been from the begin
hing Ioder against the Police-the Police against
Noder. It is established that the places which
loder denounces, the police know of and per-
init. In view of the fact that places demoralizing
to youth are permitted 10 flourish, it is difficult
to wherein the narrative of the existing fact
can he sseorrupting TO the youth, if the
printing of unpleasant truth for general circula-
tion can be said TO be of such corrupting -en-
dency, and if, as il not the case there is
the hint of a crime in such publication, even if
its tendency is corrupting.
The mistake that seems 10 have been made in
4 the case of those seeking the suppression of
Yoder has been the mistake of persecution His
enemies have been, as usual his best advertise
ment. Every injustice that has been shown him.
every bit of prejudice that has entered into the
opposition TO his course, has inevitably and
naturally defeated itself. The public Is at heart
passionately fair so fair that, in rebuke to per
secution, it will support that which it would
otherwise neglect, and raise up that which 1t
would otherwise in resentment throw down. This
ID not the place nor the time where and when it
81 possible to publicly outrage the fundamentals
I III liberty, even when the victim Is one whose
coalrse il 80 lacking in charm as that OF Yoder.
IT, ~. u Il. l. ~ Il
defend Because the principle, having been vo-
Iated, has been certainly enunciated are glad !,
~ to the future OF the man, 1t cen we'll be left
B - discriminating public, no longer diverted
n III Judgment by the extraneous Issue of per-
s1nal persecution.
EssaA CIVIC AMRNITIRa