The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-07-14
FOR FREEDOM OF
SPEECH ANDpRESS
Spirit of Intolerance Must Not
Prevail In America.
WOULD IMPAIR RIGHTS

Workers of the Nation Are Fully Pre-
pared to Do Their Part For the Pres
ervaton of Our lnstitutions-Labor
Must Oppose Tendency Toward Au-
tocracy.
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, has is
sued the following pronunciamento de-
nouncing the gag rule provisions of the
espionage bill:
AS our nation rapidly swings through
changes necessary for the transition
from peace to war basis there Is de-
veloping the beginnings of an attitude
the institutions Of democracy-the spirit
of intolerance.
AS we are torn from the mornings of
peace and face the unknown dangers
Of a fight for national rights and the
rights of humanity there are not lack
ing indications of failure to descrimi-
nate between measures of protection
and measures that destroy all that
gives our republic meaning.
In order to protect ourselves against
dangers suspected and feared an effort
is being made to pass legislation which
would impair fundamental rights, the
basis for all our freedom.
An Espionage bill" is now under con-
sideration by congress, which would
sweep away freedom Of press and
speech. The people of this country
have a right to know the general plans
and purposes Of those to whom they
have intrusted the conduct of the war
OF course the details Of military and
naval strategy, in order to be effective,
must be kept with degree Of secrecy,
but the people who must give their serv-
ices in order to make these plans eff
fectiye have the right to general in
formation, and they have right to eX-
press their opinions and convictions
thereon.
We cannot protect our country against
insidious foreign instigation Of plots
and intrigues by depriving all Of our
people Of their fundamental constitu-
! tional rights. Defense and maintenance
! Of Americas institutions do not depend
upon drastic resolutions completely al
! tering the very nature of conditions
and regulations.
! JfsE4 turn back the pages Of history
I to THE early years of our republic we
| find that the country passed through a
similar trial. The different elements of
nationality were even less welded to-
gether in composite whole than they
are at present.
! There were then fewer traditions and
| ideals in common. All of Europe was
| at war. There were foreign plots to
force this nation to take sides in the
contest. Our congress passed the dras-
tic alien and sedition laws.
| These laws were not effective in pro-
| tecting us against foreign intrigue, but
they did react disastrously to institu-
Z, lions of freedom III this country. They
! were taken advantage of by that ele-
! ment that desires to fasten upon the
masses of the people unfreedom, be-
! cause people denied their rights are
| more easily made to serve the selfish
| interests of others.
! There are now wanting in this coun-
try evidences of this same spirit I'm
der the guise Of national necessity pro-
Dosals have been made to hold the peo-
pie, particularly the working people, in
a position where they cannot interfere
with existing stable conditions. The
plea is that national necessity must
make rigid the relations between en-
pioyer and employee, and this has
been interpreted to mean even refusal
! to consider redress of wrong or higher
wages Notwithstanding constantly in
creasing costs of living.
/ The result of such legislation would
defeat the very purpose assigned as a
reason for the legislation. 1t would
produce q static equilibrium to meet the
changes developing with industrial life.
1t devolves upon the masses of the
people to defeat this tendency toward
autocracy and to maintain standards
that will permit of human liberty and
progress. Let every member of organ
lied labor feel responsibility develop
4 ing upon him to guard carefully against
such aggression on the part of reaction
! and to register an emphatic protest
against all proposals and policies that
would establish autocracy and militia
rism to supplant our free republic.
| The working people are fully prepared
to do their part for the preservation of
the ideals and institutions of the re-
( public, both Industrial and military.