The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-08-24
FIGHT STARTS IN SENATE
AGAINST PADLOCKS ON
MOUTHS OF FREE MEN
BY j. l.. Enpahl

Washington, ID. C.-"The effort to
put a paddock on the mouths of the
free men of this country at this
time is unfortunate in the extreme
and it will recoil upon those who do
it."
With these words u. S. Senator
Vardaman, Mississippi, opened the
fight in the United States, Senate
to preserve the "inalienable and CON
Stitutional right" of a free press in
this country during the war.
Only a few hours before, the So
cialist Party Free Press Committee
had discussed the suppression of So
cialist papers with Senator Varda-
man, as we had taken up this mo-
mentous question with a score of
other senators and representatives
"The national has gone war-mad
and money-mad," was Vardaman's
explanation for the blind and ruth
less crushing at this time of the
fundamental liberties of the common
people.
Rising in the senate to discuss the
food bill, and uttering his opposition
to conscription for the aviation corps,
stating the people had "had more
CONSUMPTION than the RELISH" Sen
ator Vardaman took up the discus
sion of Socialist publications as fol-
lows:
eve have heard of the excluding
from the mails of certain newspapers
that are guilty of no offense except
the exercise of the blood bought priv
ilege of honest patriotic citizens to
express their convictions on govern
mental and social questions. | do
not agree with much that some of
these newspapers say, but ! deny
the right of any officer, from Presi-
dent down to constable, to prescribe,
limit or abridge the right of free
speech.
at is not treachery in newspa-
per editor to express his disapproval
of anything that the Congress or
the President has done since the be-
ginning of this war. He has got
right to do it, and to deny his pa
per the privileges Of the mail for
publishing his thoughts violates the
spirit and letter of the constitution
and the very genius of our govern
ment
There is no danger, no harm is to
come, from the free and full dis.
cussion of all public questions, and
think the closing of the mails
against such publications is unwar-
ranted, an dthe further effort to put
a paddock on the mouths of the free
men of this country at this time is
unfortunate in the extreme, and it
will recoil upon those who do it.
"The tyranny of the Prussian des-
pot is out of place in this republic.
The methods of the despot cannot
last long among free people, and he
who undertakes to transparent that
noxious social weed upon American
soil will find that it will grow up
to clog his pathway and locerate his
feet"
Senator Vardaman lauded the eff
forts of the Canadians to oppose con-
scription in the following language:
at is very gratifying to me to
see from the newspapers the mani
festations on independence and pa
triotic courage on the part of our
brethren across the border in Canada.
They are protesting against certain
acts of injustice-of petty tyranny
on the part of the government, and
they have a right to do it. 1t is
their government; and | want to
say, Mr.. President, that it will be an
unhappy day for America when her
citizens are denied the right to eX-
press their sincere and honest
thoughts about public questions"