Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-06
WAR PARTIES CLAMOR
DEFIED BY LA TOILETTE

Continued from Page One
ators and Representatives who voted
against war with malicious fasehood and
reclilessly libelous attacks, going to the
extreme limit Of charging them with trca-
SON. La Toilette said.
u have before me newspaper clippings
some Of them ibes against me alone some
directed. as WELL against other Senator's
One of these newspaper reports. most wide
! ly circulated. represents a Federal judge
as saying in charge to grand jurors that
certain distinguished Senators. among
whom | have the honor to be included,
| should be stood up against n wall and
given what ivy deserve'-implying, Of
course, that we should be shot. If this
were a single or exceptional instance of
defamation, ! should not trouble the Senate
| With a reference to it,
81 find other Senators accused of the
| highest crimes of which any man can be
guilty-treason and dsloyaty: accused not
only with no evidence to support the ac-
cusaton, but without the suggestion that
such evidence anywhere exists.
"If I alone had been made the victim of
/ these attacks ! should not take the Senate's
| time for their consideration. and 7 believe
| that other Senators who have been unjustly
and unfairly assailed hold the same atti-
| tude as I do.
But it is not alone members Of Congress
| the party in this country has sought to
| intimidate. The mandate has gone forth to
| the sovereign people that they must he
| silent while those things are being done by
| their Government which most vitality CON
| Germ their wel-being, their happiness and
| their lives, Today and for weeks past
| honest and law-abidng citizens Of this
| country are being terrorized and outraged
| in their rights by those sworn to uphold the
| laws and protect the rights Of the people.
] have i'm my possession numerous atfdavits
establishing the fact that people are being
unlawfully arrested, thrown into Jail, held
incommunicado for days, only to be event
| ually released without ever having been
! taken into court because they have COM
mitted no crime, Private residences arc
| being invaded loyal citizens of undoubted
! integrity and probity arrested, cross-eX-
! amined and the most sacred constitutional
rights guaranteed to every American citizen
are being continually violated
/ 1T appears to be the purpose OF those
/ conducting this campaign to throw the
country into state of terror, TO coercc
/ public opinion, to st0e criticism and sup
| press discussion of the great issues in
! volved I'm this war
| "TSthinlI all men recognize that in time
| of war the citizen must surrender some
! rights for the public good. But the right
| to control their own Government according
| to constitutional forms is not one of the
| rights that the citizens of this country are
| called upon to surrender i'm time Of war
! WATCHFlL Or ltlb1 ;
Rather in time of war the citizen must
| be more alert to the preservation OF, his
right TO control his Government He must
| be most watchful of the encroachment or
| the military upon civil power. lie must
| beware of those precedents in support OF
! arbitrary action by administrative ohcla's
| which, excused on the plea Of necessity III
| wartime, become the fixed rule Wheh the
| necessity has passed
| More than all the citizen in war times
must return his right of free speech
| believe | am now touching upon the most
| important question in the country--the rlght
Of the citizens to discuss in am orderly
| way. publicly and frankly and without
| fear, from the platform and through their
publications, every important phase Of this
| war it's causes, the manner in Whlch IL
| should be conducted and the terms upon
! which peace should be made. The behet
| becoming widespread In this land, that THIS
most fundamental right is being denied cit-
| zens OF this country, is fact the tremen-
| dous significance Of which those in author
| ity have not yet appreciated"
! He cited the Paris economic conference as
evidence of what war fever will do
THE Allies entered into a compact or
commercial vengeance to be executed
against the Central Powers after peace
| shall be declared" he said. 81 believe
| no single act has done 50, much to solldliy
| the resistance OF the Central Powers ana
| secura the determined support or thelr
| peoples as this one act. The people OF the
| Central Powers reason that If they are TO
face commercial slavery after the war they
may as well die fghtng'
La Toilette said that any man who seeks
10 limit the right OF the people to make
their VIII known to the Government De
| tween elections by speeches. writings or
| petItIons "aims a blow at the most vital
part Of our Government"
He quoted from the speeches and writ
ings OF Lincoln, Clay, Webster and Sumner
10 show their vigorous public opposition 10
the Mexican War and to President Folks
attitude and policies.
"Iincoln Webster, Clay sumner, said
1 la Toilette, What a galaxy Of names IN
| American history They all believed ana
| asserted and advocated, in the midst OF war
| fhat 4 was the constitutional right and tpe