Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-02-26

OeulOcIdl5 anu you RcpuDllCduS III
Congress should never forget that
this is a Government of the people
by the people, and that the fullest
information of the people is neces-
-sary to intelligent government, in
war as well as in peace. GreatBritain
would not now be lighting desperate
ly for it's very life in the third year
of a war that could and should have
been ended year ago If just such
legislation as this Espionage Bill
proposes had not been enforced upon
the British people to keep them in
ignorence of the most vital matters
We have said over and over again,
and we repeat it with all possible
emphasis, that the war in Europe
would have been ended in October,
1915, il the people of England and
France had been permitted to know
the truth about the secret negotia-
tions and offers that took place in
that month, and we affirm that free
peoples, such as those of England
and France, ought to have known
the truth, had every right to know
the truth, and were wickedly
wronged and deceived by the fatal
power they had given their Govern
sources of information. You Demo-
cratic members are in the majority
in Congress There are able and
patriotic Republican and Progress
sive members of both Houses who
will stand by the peoples rights and
liberties. Therefore, if this infa-
nous Espionage Bill is passed, it
will rightfully be held to be q Demo-
cratic measure. The people will
check it up against the Democratic
party They will remember it in
connection with the literacy test i'm
migration law. And they will CON
clude that the Democratic party has
ceased to be a democratic organiza-
ton; that it has adopted the doc
trines and the practices of the Fede-
ralist party; that 1t is willing to sup
press free speech and a froe press;
and that the only thing for liberty
loving people to do is to make an
end of such party, exactly as their
liberty-loving fathers made an end
of the Federalist party.
congressman, your countrymen
are not children to be put in leading
strings and fed with official pap
spoons. They are sovereign citizens
of a free, self-goyerning Republic.
They neither want nor will they en-
dure government by a secret police.
They neither want nor will they en-
dure censorship and suppression of
free public discussion, either in peace
or in war They are capable of criti-
cising and directing and controlling
their public affairs just as well in
war as in peace. That there must be
censorship OF military and naval
news, we all know well. But that
power already exists and becomes
part OF the rightful authority OF the
commanders in time OF war. This
infamous bill cannot add anything
to that necessary power of censor
ship because it is already ample and
complete. All that this Espionage
Bill can do, and all that it is intended
to 40, is to give to the Department
Of Justice and it's secret police power
to invade private rights in time of
peace and to suppress free discussion
of national affairs and national poll
tics in time of war. 1t is meant, to
make it possible for Government Of
flcials and Government secret police
to prevent the American people from
having any say at ALL after a war
begins, as to its prosecution, its OBJ
jects or its conclusion Against the
will of the whole people, the Govern
ment might decide to send American
troops to fight the battles of a
foreign Power in the trenches Of
Europe and an American news
paper could not protest, nor could
an American citizen even debate tho
matter with another citizen, without
risk of imprisonment or execution.
This is an abominable proposal Con-
gressmcn. 1t is abhorrent to every
instinct of free people. 1t is sub
versive Of the fundamental principles
of free government. And If you con
sent to this bill becoming law, VIC
say to you in the name of the Ame-
ric2n people that you will be traitors
to the trust the people have reposed
in you, faithless to your solemn oaths
Of office, and enemies of the liberties
and the welfare OF your own country
far more dangerous and moro inju-
rious than would be any possible hos
tile alliance storming at our gates
and being met by free men with arms
and Defiance We had a thousand
times better be free and fighting a.
world in arms than to become the
muzzled slaves of official masters,
who heretofore have boen honored
to be our official servants. Gentle
men Of the House Of Representatives,
your countrymen were never trained
up to be serfs Of Government nor
to tremble at the name of secret
police, nor will they submit to such
conditions. They look to you to re-
pudiate this attempt to plant the
governmental policies OF European
militarism on American SOIL and
il your patriotism fails in the test
you may be assured that there is still
enough vigor and enough love Of
liberty left IN the hand to find a way
to put an end to your political ca
reers, to your party organization, and
to the infamous legislation that pro-
poses to make us slaves in our own
free country.
This is the United States of Ameri-
ca, gentlemen Of the House not
Russia.