New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-27
"Lopsided Libertarians
Peace at Any Price Orators Aid
Germany Against Humanity
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
| Sir: am not now concerned with the spy
yermin and other manifestations Of the Teu-
tonic plague at present infesting this country.
| The subject Of my attention is that tribe o.
lopsided libertarians and humanitarians who
/ in the name Of liberty and humanity are max
ing every effort TO stab liberty and humanity
| in the back.
! am the more disguised with the stand
they have taken in the present world struggle
because I believe in the fundamental truths
of the philosophy they betray and because
understand the beauty OF the religion they
desecrate.
The place Of the true libertarian is in the
vanguard of those who fight against the ag-
gressors of the freedom of nations.
! The place Of the true indiyidualist is in
the vanguard Of those who fight to safeguard
| the individuality Of nations.
! The place of the true internationalist is in
the vanguard Of those who challenge the vio-
/ lators of international laws and relations
And do we find them there? Indeed not!
/ We find them in the same U-boats with the
Vierecks and the Riders manipulating mouth
| torpedoes for his woud-be supreme majesty
| Wilhelm Of Hohenzolern, and sweating FOR
that boss, probably gratis.
! Such being the case land who will say that
! il is not!,, would suggest that If the Gold
n ans, the Eastmans, the Hillquitters Of every
shade and hue will die il temporarily deprived
/ of free speech and a free press, by all means
let them die When H. becomes question o.
! freedom (however imDerfect) OF the world az
! large and the individual mouth freedom OF
mob Of temporary madmen, decision Is
/ quickly reached
The speech that will in the slightest or
most indirect way help the German scourge IS
not free speech, but foul speech, as foul as
the poison gas. made in Germany Tor the
French market.
The Lenines and the Maximalists Of this
country must be treated here as the New
Russia has found it necessary TO treat them
| there.
agree with them in their quarrel with the
established order Of things; indeed, the foun-
dations of the now existing social order are
rather rotten; but this Is not the time 10 Try
to right them. Many burning problems are
clamoring for solution, but are they not
dimmed into nothngness BY the glare OF the
Titanic war flames that threaten the very ex-
igtence of humanity and the extinction OF
freedom through the triumph OF the Hun
Far better that humanity should cease 70 De
than that the Hun should triumph.
II i, my opinion that our peace at any price
radicals have forfeited all rights to respect
and consideration since they have constituted
themselves an organized hindrance to the
greatest liberalifng and in.ernationalizing
movement in the history Of the world.
/ Lacking the facility OF discrimination, not
having sufficient human understanding nor
breadth of vision necessary for leadership
they have degenerated into professional OPP
positionists whose one raison d'etre is to OPP
/ pose no matter what, and in this alone tney
are consistent. For we behold the funny spec
/ tacle Of these direct actionists suddenly De-
come par!iamentarians, and these sabotagers
turned overnight into non-resisters.
The shbboleth of these erstwhile and other
wise fire eaters now is: LET US parley with
the Kaiser and resist him not"
| Therefore, in consideration OF the extraor-
dinarv situation now obtaining, | plead for
the temporary suppression on the freedom OF
speech and press for all those who directly or
Indirectly seek TO dissuade, discourage and dis
tract the people of this country and Of the
world from the accomplishment Of their para
mount duty. which is the most effective prose-
cution Of the war against the Central Pow
ers" Of hell.
Let us muzzle the whining peace nuts until
the Kaiser hounds are routed from the FACE
{ of ,bo Garth. ADOLF WOLFF.
New York City, Aug. 90. 1917.