Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-16
AMERICAS HOME OF FREE SPEECH
ny FREDERIC ). HAsKIN

You had better go and hunt IN som.
references"
The prophet replied that he would
Speak without a permit. and that IL
was annoyed. terrible disaster
Mouiu be visited upon New York.
''er INC prophet nor the disaster
has been heard from so far.
Under this fair and liberal admins.
'r"''on' tho strcct-corncr orators have
"aNcd numerous. There are now ooS
rcHElons permits In force. About 6f,v
"t thcsc arc held by speakers for ,be
N''iohai flhie Institute and the Vol
untcers Of America The Sa,v,,to,
Army has the free use or the street.
without permit The rest OF them
are frco lanccs They vary all the
way from such intelligent and inter.
cstinE speakers DR. Pierce who
ho!as forth in tho noon hour at tho
corner OF Wall and Broad and delights
ms audience with crayon illustration.
oil his remarks, to Wild eyed foreign
"rs who can scarcely make ,benseIvo.
intelliEiblc. y number OF tho sneak
ers ar" negroes. Not long ago four
negroes were granted permits for ,he
TOUR corners AT Amsterdam Avcpu.
ana SiNty-siXth street. They all got
going at once, and they did not seem
To agree as to doctrine. Each. how
ever, convinced his own little I,no;
that h" was right and that the otbera
were all wrong. II looked as though
a four -corncred battle royal would be
inc only way 10 settle the argument
seeing tho immincnce of trouble tho
neighboring merchants. who had "a lot .
"t plate glass exposed to the arena
appealed TO the police. One OF the
speakers, who seemed TO he the chief
trouhle-mak"r. had his permit re-
voked, and two OF the others were re-
moved
Young Foreigners PredomInntc.
resides the religious speakers the
varieties are too numerous TO CLASH
~ Ihtrc arc good many women
Most OF these are sunraGists The
most prevalent type among all the
orators Is the fervd young foreign
er lie is always we'll supplied with
hair and language. and sometimes has
Drains Here ON Madison Square for
example, Is young Atheist. sarcasti-
cally annihilating contentious audi
ior who argues that the Bible is in
snired, Not a hundred feet away an
excited little Mexican is pleading the
cause OF Pancho Villa. He tells them
or the wonderful army that the poor
peon raised. He says that Pancho vii
la carried an ice factory on every
nliiiiary train. and supplied his SOL
oilers with ice water. while the Car
MA army was dying OF thirst in
the desert. lic says that Villa had
''''''''7 ~ Wv WIN 'nF Columbus raid,
that he was in Brazii when 1t hap
pcncd
This young orator has wonderful
audience or patriotic Americans-ali
that can get within earshot-inciud-
ing Jews, roles, Italians. Greeks, Ger
mans and others harder TO classify
lhey arc all intensely Interested They
ASK nm questions. He answers them,
"loqncntlN. vchcmcntly. lie offers to
STOP says maybe they are tired OF
MN lhey urge him to go on From
inc general air of Importance and
Seii-Satistaction. you might think this
was hlGh commission appointed To
settle the Mexican trouble once and
Tor all. and from the prevailing in.
difercncc to the passage Of time Won
would dcduce that each commission
or was getting 500 a week and ex-
penses.
There is, Of course. great deal OF
rot and foolishness in this percpp,aI
and cver-growinE stream OF street
corner oratory. There is also n lot
or sound sense and logical argument.
ana not n little information worth
having Above all. il is free express
SION or the frcest. unhan:pcred by any
interest. These collarleSs sweating
orators and their unruly. baclt-tnlkine
audiences are learning to try out their
IDEAS and form their opinions Thea
foreigness. only half masters Of Eng
iish' are hearing about national uues-
ions. And all Of them are learning
to think for themseives-and for
America.