The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-02-09
A CRIME WITHOUT 4 NAME

1t Is a remarkable story Of the trial |
and conviction of Fred D. Warren, edl-
tor of the Appeal to Reason, by Fred |
Upham Adams, who in his 20-page re- |
view of this case in which he says 1t /
would take 200, 900 words to tell what |
kind OF a socialist he is, yet shows I
beyond a shadow of doubt it depends |
upon whom the sentence is to effect, |
that courts make rulings that reverse |
themselves and not always admit evil |
dence to show what is black and what |
is white and what is handed out Tor /
personal reasons and political potency
We have read every word of this ex-
traordinary case and the more phe- |
nominal and irreconcilable verdict of
the courts and believe il ever an in |
Justice was done a man in its verdict |
and rulings, Fred D. Warren is that
man. That our readers may have an
unbiased and irrefutible argument
against this heinous wrong we append
the letter of Miss Helen Keller.
CHelen Keller, who voluntarily wrote
the following letter with her own
hand, is the most remarkable example
of persistency overcoming difficulties
the world has ever known. Born deaf,
dumb and blind, she has, in the face
Of these handicaps, secured liberal
education. understanding English per-
fectly and writing it well, as her letter
will show. She is we'll read on many
lines and her SympathieS are broad
and grounded on understandings Her
example is an inspiration to anyone
who will consider it, showing some
thing of what any one can do if he
tries. Her liberal views and wide
sympathies ought to shame those who
have physical eyes, yet do not open
them TO the sorrows that compass the
mass of man, and the possibility of
making all wise and happy and good.
Nbn Iat4 Wit ryrif L.tr
Miss Keller and signed in ink with her
own handD o
The Appeal to Reason. Girard Kan.
Dear Appeal enclose a check to be
used for subscriptions to the Appeal
to Reason. / am prompted to this by
indignation at the unrighteous con-
viction of the editor, Mr.. Fred Warren.
1 believe that the conviction is un-
righteous. although I have arrived at
this conclusion with some hesitancy.
For mere woman, denied participa-
ton in government, must needs speak
timidly Of the mysterious mental pro-
cesses of men, and especially of ermin-
ed justices. No doubt any layman
would give offense who should be
guilty of the indscretion of criticising
the decision of a high court. Still. the
more I study Mr. Warren's case in the
light of the United States constitution.
which / have under my fingers, the
more / persuaded either that | do
not understand, that the judges do
not. / used to honor our courts, which
| was told were no respectors of per
sons. l was glad and proud of the
thought OF our noble hertage-a free
law open to all children of the nation
alike. But / have come not only to
a;
to our judiciary. but also to question
whether our judges are conspicuous
for simple good sense and fair deal
ing. We may be pardoned if we re-
gard some of their decisions merely as
human imperfection, result of our
common mortality, dependent for their
seeing inequity upon our poor human
prejudice and ignorance.
Are not these the facts: Several
years ago three officers of the Western
Federation of Miners were indicted for
murder committed in Idaho. They
were in Colorado, and the governor of
that state did not extradite them. They
were kidnapped and brought to an
Idaho prison They applied to the
supreme court for writ of habeas
corpus, on the ground that they were
illegally held because they were il
legally captured. The supreme court
replied: Even if it be true that the
arrest and deportation of Pettibone,
Meyer and Haywood from Colorado
was by fraud and cOnnivance to which
the governor of Colorado was a party,
this does not make out a case of viola
ton of the rights of the appellants
under the constitution and laws of the
United States
Some years before this event ex-
Governor Taylor of Kentucky was in
dicted for murder, and was wanted in
his state. Mr.. Warren offered a re-
ward for the capture of Mr.. Taylor and
his return to the Kentucky authorities
| understand that it is not an unusual
thing for citizen to aid in this man
ner in the apprehension of a fugitive
from justice.
To what twiStings, turnings and
dark interpretations must the judges
OF the circuit court be driven in order
to send Mr.. Warren to prison, AS / un-
derstand it, the federal law defining
the kind of matter which it is a crime
to mail has been stretched to cover his
act. What was the act? The offer of
a reward was printed on the outside of
envelopes mailed from Girard by Mr.
Warren. This was construed as
agement to others to kidnap a man I'M
der Indictment. This the supreme court
had by implication declared to be an
innocent act; for in the case of Petit
bone, Meyer and Haywood the accom-
plished act itself was held to be no in
fringement of the rights of a citizen.
One need not be a socialist to real
ize the significance, the gravity. not of
Mr.. Warren's offense, but of the offense
of the judges against the constitution,
and against democratic rights 1t is
provided that Congress shall make no
law abridging the freedom
of speech or of the press" Surely this
means that we are free to print and
mail any innocent matter. What Mr..
Warren printed and mailed had been
established by the supreme court as
innocent. What beam was in the eye
of the honorable judges of the supreme
court? Or what mote was in the eye
of the justices of the circuit court? II
is evident that their several decisions
do not stand in the same light. 1t has
been my duty, my life work to study
physical blindness. its causes and its
prevention. / learn that our physic-
ians are making great progress in the
cure and prevention of blindness What
surgery of politics, what antiseptic of
common sense and right thinking shall
be applied to cure the blindness of our
judges, and to prevent the blindness