Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-28
DRAWING THE LINE
(From Friday Daily

(FrOm FRIDAY Dally)
There Is cheer for loyal Americans
in the fact that Rose Pastor Stokes
was convicted promptly, by jury IN
federal court at Kansas City yester.
day on the charge Of violating the es'
pionage law. 1t Is to be hoped that
the imposition of the penalty will fol
low as promptly as is compatible with
justice and that Mrs. Stokes shall be
compelled to serve a prison term for
her disloyalty.
This hope is expressed without the
slightest reservation on account OF
the defendants sex, Rose Pastor
Stokes is an educated woman, mature
in years and experience Of the world.
She deliberately expressed socialistfc,
disloyal views, inimical to the govern
ment and capable of discourag1ng
men from joining the army which de-
tends that government. For years
she has expressed similar views and
has been treated with that federation
which the American public and the
courts reserve, in ordinary times, for
misguided cranks and radical agi-
tators.
War is upon us. Loyalty becomes
more than mere waving OF flags and
singing of patriotic songs. D1sloyalty
becomes more than mere foolishness.
Always a crime against government,
law and order, socialistic disloy-
atty Is a menace to the very institu-
lions under which it has been toler-
ated and permitted to spread It's
poisonous propaganda.
Mrs. Stokes is no more guilty, per
haps, than are thousands or otner
socialists, less prominent but hardly
less laxative. She obtains larger
audience than do they. Her convic-
ton may serve to make them more
cautious in expressing their disloyal-
ty. Perhaps it may save some OF
them from following her to prison,
and in that phase her conviction is
regrettable. However, its good points
outnumber it's bad ones Every So
cialistic agitator who is punished re-
moves one from the ranks OF oppon-
ents of the government and warns
those who remain at liberty against
attempting to influence loyal citizens
toward disloyalty.
Every conviction, also, serves to
stamp the more indelfbly on the brow
Of the socialist the mark OF disloyaity
to the government. No one can be
true to the doctrines which socialism
breaches and true to the United
States government at the same time.
The trial OF the I. w. w. leaders
in Chicago is dragging slowly toward
the point at which the defense Will
attempt to present It's case IN a 1aV-
orable light. These men nave gone
only another step or two along tne
road Rose Pastor Stokes Travelled!
They are socialists as well as men,
hers of the I. w. w. They are OPP
posed to the government; they nave
,conspired to weaken the government
in it's prosecution OF the war. They
deserve punishment, But they are
the victims, some Of them, OF the
preachments Of the parlor socialists
like Rose Pastor Stokes and her col
leee bred friends, who write disloyal-
ty into tracts which ignorant social
lists read and which turns them TO-
ward the I. w. w.
Perhaps, III they were In Russia, the
!. w. w. agitators would be called
the bolsheviks and the less violent
socialists would be called mensheviks
or conservative" enemies OF govern
ment There is little to choose be-
tween them, and Russfa's sad expert
ence has shown that the extreme an.
archists in America would not be de-
MED control If once control should be
gained by the socialists, whatever
their degree.
The socialists in the ranks, the fol
lowers of Rose Pastor Stokes, Sey.
mour Stedman and their sort. are the
forces on whom not only those lead.
ers but the l. w. w. as we'll depend
for strength in their war on govern.
ment. Socialism Is essentially and
fundamentally disloyal. and any fall
ure to recognize the fact is gross
disregard of the nations welfare.
AlnDK Nn EpnAT