The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-05-17

have been inhibited under this provi-
sion Of this proposed statute.
Go back to another service perform.
ed by the London Times in the Grim
can war. The publications made by
that paper at that time not only
changed for the better the situation
with reference to the contest and mer-
cilessly exposed those who We're in
capable of carrying the arms to sue
cess, but so exposed the aristocracy
of England in its criminal incapacity
that it was the initiatory step In the
great democratic movement in Eng
land which led to the Acknowledgement
of the people 10 years afterward.
/ could come closer home for Illus
trations, but 1t would perhaps be a
breach Of taste to do so.
Value Of a Free Press.
Mr.. President, in this struggle Of de-
mocracy, in this crusade for free in
situations, let us hold fast among our
selves to those great underlying prin-
ciples OF freedom and liberty without
which we may be republic in name,
but could never be one In fact. With
out an unfettered press without liber-
ty of speech. all the outward forms
and structures Of free institutions are
"a sham. pretense--the sheerest
mockery. If the press is not free; II
speech is not independent and un-
|trammeled; If the mind Is shackled or
made impotent through fear, 1t makes
no difference under what form Of gov
eminent you live you are subject
and not citizen. Republics are not
in and of themselves better than other
forms Of government except in so far
as they carry with them and guaran-
tee to the citizen that liberty of action
and thought for which they were es-
tablished.
OF all times. in time of war the press
should be free. That OF all occasions
in human affairs calls for press Wig
liant and bold. Independent and I'M
censored. Better to lose a battle than
to lose the vast advantage of free
press. A free and Independent press,
as historic incidents show, may be Of
greater service than any other single
feature of great conflict.
In times of war corruption and ye-
nality, sordidness and greed are al
ways active, always prevalent. l
know of very few exceptions. 1t was
so in the civil war when the union
seemed to be going to pieces. 1t was
Internationally and brazenly true
during the Spanish American war.
Men were fed on diseased food that
greed might riot in it's profits. Every
where, in high places and low places,
men were spying about for chance
| to take advantage of the patriotic
people engaged In defending the honor
| of their country l know of nothing
more important to a free people in
time of war. in time of great stress,
than free press.
Test the Republic.
I think one of the greatest services
we can render the cause of democracy
just now Is to demonstrate to the
world that republic can carry on
war, defend itself effectively and tri-
Iumphantly without recurring to the
practices and procedures of absolute
governments. The most interesting
and at the same time the saddest fea
lures of this war to me aside from the
suffering and sacrifices of those en-
gagged, has been the haste with which
the freer, more liberal governments
have adopted the arbitrary and dicta-
torial policies and practices of the
most absolute of governments There
are no democracies at this hour in
this conflict whatever may be the
outward form or whatever the fact
was before the war, and whatever the
fact may be after the war; II is GER
tainly not for me to suggest that
things could have been otherwise and
that these arbitrary and absolute
measures were unnecessary, for / have
no reason to challenge the good faith
of those who have risked all in this
struggle. But ! am sure If the time is
to come when we shall have to follow
in that course that time has not yet
arrived. I do not believe that time
will ever come. think il danger
should become more imminent and the
situation more perilous that the patri-
otism, the active and self imposed
censorship of the press will meet in
full the demands of the hour. think
the individual citizen will measure up
to the occasion. i at least want to try
out this situation to the end and see
If republic may not be a republic In
war as well as a republic in peace.
shall not have much faith in our in
situations If they are fitted only to sail
In serene seas and wholly unable to
withstand the storm.
Bartholdi Statue.