The Alaska daily empire., 1914-01-15
THE SOCIALISTS AND FREE SPEECH"

THE EMPIRE this evening gives space to communication
 adopted by the Juneau Socialists Local in which protest
 made against the enforcement of the city ordinance prohb
 ng street speaking in Juneau We do this without apology not whSandng that disagree with the contention of the So ciastS that the question of free speech the ter and notwithstanding that of the assumed premises not in accordance with the facts.
 Whether conditions existing Juneau make it Sy prohibit street speaking whether passage the ordinance of prohibition policy the ordinance its enforcement neither technically spirit ntereere with
 free speech They constitute suppression of free speech than would be suppression of free press to pre- vent the publication of public street The streets public poperyno private They public prop erty for specific purpose-to accommodate traffic They should be used for nothing that nereres with the purpose their creation We believe that is improper the streets far public policy is concerned to hold meetings them when the meetings do not interrupt interfere with tra c The wisdom folly of the Juneau ordinance should be ured solely the question whether not its adoption necessary protect the public its right the for the purpose for which they intended but whether foolish should be complied with long is the law of the community.
 There has been no attempt on the part of the city council else far know anybody private public speech this city one we have been formed has attempted to interfere in with anyone pot religious or social beliefs or his eXpreS of them The city authorities have enforced the antstree speaking ordinance against a and the first to tact with the law who preached the gospel of the owy Nazarene-and not political social reformer agator.
 The that he City Seattle tried for years suppress free speech There has been
 time within the last eight when meetings could not be held of Seates down streets without interference from the police During the administration of former Mayor William Hickman Moore Conessedy of the abest most effective and most earnest friends of union labor and aborng generally that has been public life in the West he quarreed with of the Socialists because he refused permit street speaking certain streets where traffic heavy Many Socialists at that time arrested because they refused to abide by his conc that meetings these streets nered with their proper However the matter finally arranged that basis and there have been meetings for the places where Mayor Moore refused permit them. The quarrel with Judge John Hum phries different matter entirely Judge Humphres did not endeavo enforce law ordinance except such he had made by his government by injunction He granted n uncons against street speaking places where they had been permitted by the municipal authorities the application of men whose places of business oned those streets and places He then arrested people wholesale for violating his nuncOns Among the active of those opposing his hghhanded pro ceedngs authorities of Seattle his fellow judges the bench the Governor of the State the Posntegencer Sun and Star newspapers.