Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-02-26
THE ESPIONAGE BILL Us SIMPLY
THE INFAMOUS ALIEN AND
SEDiTION LAWS UNDER
ANOTHER NAME.
Continuation from Page ~

tected from official and private op-
preston than are the wretched mou-
jiks or the more wretched Jews who
live in trembling fear of the Russian
Jail or the Russian knout. Here in
this very land, which our fathers and
their mothers dedicated to their own
and their childrcns freedom forever
and whose grasses and flowers of the
Spring are about to burst and bloom
might be permanent and secure, you
representatives of the people are
asked to enact legislation that de-
stroys every mans freedom. Why,
gentlemen of the House Of Represen-
tatives it is not cannon-shot from
whore you sit to-day to Arlington.
The dead who sleep there in honor
faced dangers beyond any we know
to-day; faced war such as never had
been waged on all the earth faced
powerful antagonists in front, while
treason lurked in the rear; they
knew well that the land was full of
spies that were not the nightmares
OF silly brains and do you think
they would have endured to have
such legislation as this imposed upon
their people, even in that time of
stress and deadly peril? No, not for
ten thousand times ten thousand
Gregorys! IF you men Of the House
pass this bill, you can only do so with
tho assistance OF a majority of the
Democratic members. And the
Democrat who votes for this Espio-
mage Bill is as false to the traditions
and the guaranteed rights and Liber-
ties OF his people. Senator Cum
mings said to the Senate;
"This measure is the most
stringent and drastic law ever
proposed to curb free people
in time OF peace or war. The
Government would have abso-
lutte power in war time to sup
press newspapers and prevent
debate in Congress. II might
even be held a criminal offense
for two citizens to discuss with
each other questions Of military
policy. Under such a law the
agitation could never have
taken place in England which
led to the assumption of the
premiership by Lloyd George"
Which is very nearly an exact
repetition OF the denunciations Of the
Alien and Sedltion Laws made by
Jefferson anu Madison and the Legis-
latures Of Virginia and Kentucky in
1898. In the whole history of ma
tions there is no such remarkable
parallel as the parallel of the events
Of that time with those OF our present
times. Possibly we may be doing
service to some OF you members Of
the House If we direct your attention
| to this parallel before you are called
on to vote upon this Espionage Bill.
In the Spring of the year 1898 the
French Republic was feverishly pre-
pairing to meet the onset Of the
second coalition England was for
ming with Austria, Russia, Turkey,
Naples and Portugal to make an end
of republicanism and re-establish the
divine right Of kings in Europe. Just
as to-day the two coalitions are
formed around tho leadership ofEng
land and Germany, SO then the two
coalitions were formed around the
leadership Of England and France.
Just us to-day there are frantic and
rabid American partisans of England
and Of Germany, 50 then there were
frantic and rabid partisans Of Eng
land and Of France. Just as to-day
the President Is scholar and in
clined to peace, so thcn the President
was a scholar and inclined to peace.
Just as to-day the flnanclcrs and tho
rich and socially prominent are
strongly pro-British, so then they
were strongly pro-British. Just as
the German Ambassador was sent
home tho other day by President
Wilson. so had the French Minister
been dismissed by President Wash
ington. Just as Germany's subma-
rines have destroyed few American
ships, 80 had French vessels fired
upon and depredated upon American
commerce. Just as England now
orders American vessels voyaglng to
neutral countries in Europe to put
into British port and be searched
by British officials and receive Bri-
tish permission before they can COM
plcte their voyage or return to their
own country, so then the same exact
British Orders-in Council were being
enforced by the British navy Just
as sensible and patriotic Americans
/ to-day insist upon equal resistance
to both German and English block
AIDES of and interference with our
commerce, so then sensible and pa
triotic Americans insisted upon equal
resistance to both English andFrench
blockades of and interference with.
American commerce. Just as tho
passions and prejudices aroused by
the European war played q deciding
part in tue Presidential election of
| 1916, so they played a deciding part
in the Presidential election OF 1896.
And Just as the Attorney-General is
| to-day asking Congress to clothe
United States officials with arbitrary
powers to arrest ~and imprison citi-
zens for the exercise of their qua
ranteed rights OF free speech and
FREQ publication, SO the Attorney
General asked Congress in 1898 to
clothe the United States officials with
the same arbitrary powers. And in
| 1898 Congress made the fatal error
of granting the Administrations re-
/ quest, and then and there wrote the
! political doom Of the all-powerful
Federalist party, to which the Presi-