Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-04-15
WHOLE OUTFIT SHOULD RESIGN

The Portland Library board has Endorsed Governor
Withycombes position as to enemy aliens, carrying it
perhaps a little further and backing those who are openly
opposing the government in its carrying on the war.
Withycombe's position was that any alien enemy on the
state payroll was entitled to remain there so long as he
kept his mouth shut and refrained from any inlmlcal
activities. The library board at Portland, of which by
the way, w. B. Aver, federal food controller is president,
goes further than this and holds that an American citizen
is entitled to remain on the public payroll while openly
opposing the government and expressing strong dsloy-
atty. The action of the board was taken in connection
with the open d~isloyalty Of Miss Louise Hunt, assistant
librarian of the Central library, who does not believe in
war and is classified as a conscientious objector. The
board in passing upon the matter Of firing her as had been
requested by numbers, took a flight into metaphysical
realms and scared clear out of reach Of even itself. Here
is the drivel it relieved itself of: "The board feels that
the right to ones own conscientious opinion is the very
foundation of human freedom, and we are not willing to
give up, or to compel others to give up, in advance, the
very thing for which the best and bravest Of us are now
fighting, and which our ancestors risked their lives to
win for US" conscientious objection" to be given con-
sideration must be of a kind that is not inherently unlaw-
full. No one will contest that a person who conscientious
ly objects to any punishment being meted out to a muir
derer would have a right on that account to commit muir
der and go UNPUBLISHED for it. No one could have a claim
allowed eXempting him or her from the payment of taxes
simply because they were conscientiously opposed to the
system of taxation. Yet the position of the board if fol-
lowed to its legitimate conclusion would justify Miss
Hunt in refusing to pay any war tax. There are those
whose religious beliefs make them opposed to war, and
these beliefs the law respects in not forcing those holding
them to take active part in the fighting. 1t does not
however relieve them from paying their portion of the
taxes necessary for carrying on the war. The library.
board has evidently been reading bolsheviki literature and
getting its ideas of freedom and liberty from that source.
It's theories carried out would result in conditions similar
to those in Russia so far as the laws are concerned. If
Miss Hunt made the statement credited to her--and
those who reported the matter made oath that she did
--she stated that she would rather be ravished by a Hun
than support the United States in this war;" This
language might or might not be disloyal, for it is capable
of several constructions. Considering the natural repul
Sion q O0Od woman would have Tn forced relations with IL
a Hun the statement is highly disloyal, but it might be
construed that while Miss Hunt was patriotic and was
willing to help the government, there are other things she
might prefer. However which ever light it is looked at in,
it is evident that someone else should be doing the school
library work. If she is not disoyal she is evidently