New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-13
The Cry Against Pacitists
Plea That Line Be Dawn Bctween Treason and The Epess0" OF
Our National Love of Peace
To the Editor of The Tribune.

| To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: have been reading with much inter-
est and approval your articles on Enemies
Within" and think you are doing great
work in showing up the many agencies n
work in this country, openly and under cover,
to encourage Germany and, if possible throw
n monkey wrench into our war machinery. SO
Fl, far, good. Any one who is not with us Is
against u.s. and, in national emergency sucA
as we now face is certainly traitor.
But when peace meetings are indiscrimi-
, nately labelled Unreasonable" | think it is time
to call "a halt. When this country reaches a
place where state Governors may prohibit
meetings Of pacifsts, or any one else, without
at least giving them hearing, where sol
diers in uniform break up meetings Gas they
have in New York City,, without either
the law or ordinary justice behind them;
when i. becomes "A crime to convene peace
ably and discuss possible terms OF peace
when the whole world is doing the same, then
think something is seriously wrong some
where; and your evident enjoyment of the
sorry time the Peoples Council has been hay-
inc in the Middle West this last week ~
clines me to think that you. too, wholly ap-
prove Of such unwarranted obstruction of the
first principle of free speech, namely, the
right of peaceful assembly If you do so
approve, then your demand for world democ-
racy is truly mockery, and the pacihsts 20
and pro- Germans Justly cry that democracy
Is being sacrificed at home while we fight for
il abroad.
Honest il Thoughtess Pacif,ts
For so far as | can see no one has yet
proved that the Peoples Council-and, be-
love me, | am not a member OF It's
wholly a reasonable pro-German crganiza-
ton. Note that | say wholly, for in such
party OF protest ard discomfort az il is be-
coming the dregs of radicalism and ant-war
sentiment the pro-Gcrmans and anarchist
inevitably appear. But so do persons who
ere not necessarily disloyal- honest, though
perhaps thoughtess, paciflsts, opposed TO all
war on conscientious grounds, AS we'll rs
persons unwilling to give inch either 70
German autocracy or 10 American ad:ocracy;
peoplc who see no reason WIN if the govern
ment sends replies to the Pope on peace the
people may not also discuss peace in then
own way Only in its foolish demand for the
repeal Of the conscrlption act does the coun'
Gil appear 10 me anything like an organlia-
tion preaching treason; but | imagine that
YOU would find did you know the truth, tn It
there are lot of people in this country VIII?
don't like the corscription law, bat they ale
generally putting up with 1t because they arc
both loyal and onc-suferng. Ny confer
ton. therefore, is that the Peoples Council
should have been permitted to meet and show
itself for what it is Allowed to meet with
out interference. il would have shot lis bolt
L 4, n -ltpr
and reasonable. a. some people think, 1t
would have so revealed itself; and that would
have been a mighty dangerous thing 20 do IN
Minnesota, Judging from the recent temper
Of the people out there. Moreover, the coun
Gil would then have had to breast the for
midable tide against treason that Is rising
in this country, and before that rush of loya!
sentiment it must surely have gone down
to crushing ignorniny had it not stood for
Amcricanism first and las.
Give Them Air and They'll Strange
But now what has happened? We have
made martyrs of this council, and every DIS
contented radical. every schemer hoping 20
embarrass the government, every pro-German
agitator. will rush TO join the council But
not alone from the ranks Of the dis!oyal will
tho council be assisted. From every part OF
the country loyal Americans will, in my opir-
ion, also give the council some sort or sup
port, passive. If not active, because they Ike
tho ring of free speech; they want to see
n square deal; they demand free speech and
free assembly; and out OF pure perVersity
and lack of other means of expression they
will fight for these rights through aiding the
PEOPLES Council. At least, that Is my tee!-
ing. | have watched their manruvres, ard
smiled a little at their rawlings, and yet felt
dozen in nv heart that they should be at least
allowed to blow of" Give them air enough !
and they'll strange themselves. NO" they !
have been proh oted the right to assemble. |
Troops-among which, by another throw o.
the dice of fate, ! myself might nave pee:
numbered-may be called out to disperse
them. and. who knows, to do them INJURY.
invountarily ask myself, would |, II ordered
do them bodily harm with bullet or bayonet |
as long as they are not rloting and breahlhG
the laws of the nation, when so far they |
have done little but attempt 70 meet? ! fear
NV answer would send me to the guard |
house, or worse. And it will be sorry day !
for this country If ever troops really are !
called upon to dispense people seeking |
peaceably TO assemble and speak their feel |
ings. On the other hand ii they speak trea- /
son. then give il to them. But done lets |
bar them beforehand.
Moreover. in this connection, think you
are inclined greatly to migjudge the temper /
of many people who feel as | do, and wfo
will assist. with moral support, at least,
even so suspicious an organization as tie
council until it is given public nearing
such as was promised. You do not misjudgc |
those, | repeat, who support the council eva
IDENTIFY to help Germany; and there are doubt
loss some such On the other hand, you DO
seriously misjudge many persons who, with
no thought of helping Germany, do support
the council, and who are more and more in
Rv-Patb Meadow