The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-10-02


In these days of legal suppression
of free speech and muzzlement of the
radical press, with stupid capitalist
politicians the lords of city streets
and country roads, having power to
direct police and constabulary to ar
rest and confine. or to actually punish
all who would dare say or write aught
that is disagreeable to the ruling class
or their minions, it is refreshing and
inspiring to pick up book like Chas.
T. Sprading's Liberty and the Great
Libertarians."
With men beaten to death by our
best citizens for the crime of eX-
ercising their constitutional rights of
assembly and free discussion of pub
by court and jury for speaking on
their own streets despite the decision
of a gang of contemplate politicians
and real estate sharks who have arbi-
trarily abolished free speech and as
sembly; with men thrown into jails
or military bull pens for daring to ex-
press their opinions and disapproval
of lawlessness and violence at the
hands of brutal profit mongers; Mr.
Sprading has performed a splendid
service to all lovers of liberty by COM
piling and publishing his excellently
arranged anthology. Liberty and the
Great Libertarians."
1t is a book that has long been
needed by all classes of thinking men
and women, but is especially valuable
to writer's, speakers, and active work
ers in the field of revolutionary ef-
fort, whether in the field of politics or
literature, in ethics or religion.
To quote a paragraph from the val
liable chapter Laconics of Liberty,
who does not say amen" to this fine
passage of Henry Ward Beecher?
There is tonic in the things that
men do not love to hear; and there
is damnation in the things wicked
men love to hear.
"Free speech is to a great people
what winds are to oceans and maar-
ial regions, which watt away the eIe-
ments of disease, and bring new ee-
ments of health; and where free
speech is stopped, miasma is bred and
death comes fast" page 49,
In view of the conflicting views on
vital problems held even by genuine
well wishers of mankind and the tax
on patience and sympathy free speech
and free press by irresponsible writ
ers and speakers, the following ex-
tract from a message of a former gov
ernor of Massachusetts, ]. A. And
rews, is particularly timely:
~ care not for the truth or error
of the opinion held or uttered, nor for
the wisdom of the words or time of
their attempted expression, when
consider this great question of funda-
mental significance this great fight
which must first be secure before free
society can be said to stand on any
foundation, but only on temporary or
capricious props.
"Rich or poor, white or black, great
or small, wise or foolish, in season or
out of season, in the right or in the
wrong, whosoever will speak, let him
speak, and whosoever will hear, let
him hear.
"And let no one pretend to the pre-
rogative of judging another mans lib
erty.
ain this respect there is, and there
can be, no superiority of persons or
privileges, nor the slightest pretext
for any" page 4a.)
Liberty and the Great Libertari-
ans" is supplied with an excellent
index, and contains an interesting in
PRODUCTION by the compiler, Mr. Sprad-
ing. His statement regarding Major
ity Rule" is entirely true as far as a
government under class rule is con-
cerned; and all governments so far
have been class rule governments; but
majority rule under industrial democ-
racy, with the land and machinery
owned and controlled by those who
actually use them, a nation of wealth
producers, could have no incentive to
Cypress a minority, nor means of OPP
preston.
blue laws" under economic free
dom, with majority agreement, or
rule" as to management of collec'
lively owned and comparatively used
land and machinery, are simply un.
thinkable.
Majority rule oppression cannot
exist apart from class rule govern
ment, and the latter disappears with
the overthrow OF Rent, Interest