The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-10-13

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terday by the senate into his speech
before the Nonpartisan league at St.
Paul, and dealt with criticisms of
himself only generally.
''Six members of the senate, and, as
4 recall, about so members of the
house, voted against the declaration
of war;" he said. "Immediately there
was let loose upon those senators and
representatives a flood of invective
and abuse from newspapers and in
dividuals who had been clamoring for
war, unequalled I believe, in the his
tory of civilized society.
- prior to the declaration of war
every man who had ventured to op-
pose our entrance into it had been
condemned as coward or worse, and
even the president had by no means
been immune from these attacks.
War Party Malicious.
''Since the declaration of war the
triumphant war party has pursued
those senators and representatives
who voted against war with malicious
falsehood and relentlessly libelous at
tacks going to the extreme limit of
charging them with treason against
their country.
1T is not claimed that the senators
who opposed the declaration of war.
have, since that time, acted with any
concerted purpose, either regarding
war measures or any others. They
have voted according to their indivi-
dual opinions, have often BEEN op-
posed to each other on bills and ac-
cording to my recollection, have
never all voted together since that
time on any single proposition upon
which the senate had been divided"
Senator La Toilette declared that, if
he alone had been the victim Of these
attacks, he would not take the SEN
ate's valuable time for their consid-
Grafton.
Says People Intimidated.
"But, SIR" he continued, lit is not
alone the members of congress that
- the war party in this country has
sought to intimidate. The mandate
has gone forth to the sovereign peo-
pie of this country that they must be
silent while those things are being
done by their government which most
vitality concern their well-being. their
happiness and their lives. Today
and for weeks past, honest and law
. abiding citizens of this country are
being terrorized and outraged in
their rights of the people. I have in
my possession numerous affidavits
establishing the fact that people are
being unlawfully arrested, thrown
into JAIL held incommunicado for
days, only to be eventually discharged
without ever having been taken into
. court because they have committed
no crime. Private residences are be-
ing invaded, loyal citizens of un-
doubted integrity and probity ar
rested, ross-examined, and the most
sacred constitutional rights guaran-
iced to every American citizen arc
oeing continually violated.
1T appears to be the purpose OF
- those conducting this campaign to
throw the country into a state of ter
:or, to coerce public opinion; to stifle
criticism and suppress discussion OF
he great issues involved in this war. u
Upholds Free Speech.
Besides quoting at length from the
American statesmen who opposed bit
:erly President Polk's policy in the
Mexican war, the Wisconsin senator
gave extracts from speeches by Burke
Fox, Lord Chatham and others in the
British parliament attacking Great
Britian's war upon the American col
onies. He said he did it to show that
the principle of free speech was nc
new doctrine born Of the the consti-
tuition of the United States.
For War Referendum.
Senator La Toilette said no convic.
tion was stronger with the people. to-
day than thatthere should be no fu.