The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-21
FREE SPEECH AND FREE
PRESS.


PRESS.
The greatest right in the worl,
is the right to be wrong.
IL the world or majorities thinl
an individual is right, no one will
interfere with him; but when agi
tators talk against the things con
sidered holy or when scientist
question the things considered
proved, or when radicals criticise
or satirize the political gods OF
question the justice of our laws
and institutions, or the anarchists
by talking try to shake the pill.
lars of society or government
how the old inQuisition awakens
and ostracism, the excommuniea-
ton OF the church, the prison, the
stake, the wheel, the torture
chamber are called to suppress the
free expression of thought. Force
is never a remedy, and tyrannies
of majorities are as bad as tyr.
annies of kings.
Governmental authorities. ma.
jorities, and newspapers do moi
understand that all criticism
should be expressed; for expires.
sion itself Is a form Of relief to
those who have complaints to
make. As one philosopher said
"let motion equal notion" as the
only true basis for sanity. Eng
land with its Hyde Park for abso'
lutely free expression of even an,
archy proves the ACCESSIBILITY Of
this. The violent radical or labor
agitator learns as the years roll
by; and then he becomes con.
structive force. Lloyd George Of
England, one OF the greatest fig
ures in the world today, one who
has done more for England in the
present war than any other states
man, was denounced, vilified, ant
ridiculed for years because OF his
radicalism and extremism, but
now he is called the Savior oil
England" When labor struck
when liquor interfered with mu
nitions, when holidays had to bt
done away with, when work hat
to be speeded up, when new sec
rotary of war had to be chosen
when Ireland revolted, when hom'
rule had to be solved, when a new
premier had to be found for thu
largest job of all, Let Lloyt
George do it, became the motto
of England. Suppose Lloyd Georg
had been suppressed back in thu
years, would he have the abilit.
he now has. would he be the maj
he is, could he have done the job
as well as he has?
Germany with its suppressed
press and suppressed speech i
preventing the Germans from
knowing the facts of the war
from inquiring as to the rea
causes of the war and the term
of a possible peace, and so per
baps is preventing real peace
Macmillan Harden, in an articl
strongly protesting against thi
German censorship, quoted tn
famous words of the Paris Fl
caro-: "In Madrid | learned tina
there was complete freedom G
the press: that provided | did no
speak about the power of the GOV
eminent, religion, politics, moi
ais, high officials or other nota
bles, operas, plays or anythin
having to do with anything else
] was perfectly free to prir
whatever two or three censor
nosed through"
Thomas jefferson said that
eff given to choose only one,
free government or a free pres
would choose the latter. Whel
ever there Is free press th
government cannot long be III
just" Lincoln said, let III
people know the truth and IL
country is safe" Are our instit'
lions. are our laws, are our idea
today, such dollhouse plants thl
they cannot stand even the win,
of discussion? Not from vast
OF silence around subjects of go
eminent or men. or around s
called holy things, can true al
reliable conclusions be drawn, b.
by placing every fact. every inst
tuition, amid the windswept ope
ings OF absolutely free discussio
Are we to do away with all publ
meetings for fear that under m
speech some will make extrav
CANT statements7
The great crime is repressi,
OF honest thought. James Ri
sell Lowell well expressed {
spirit OF the makers of our 60
eminent when he said:
Lat liars fear.