The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-23

Kansas City, Mo-, May 23.-The
case of Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes
charged with violation OF the espion-
age act, was given to the jury at
2:25 o'clock this afternoon.
Kansas City, Mo, May 23.--The
closing arguments for the defense
in the trial OF Rose Pastor Stokes on
charges OF violating the espionage
act, were made this morning by Sey-
mour Stedman, her attorney.
The crime of Mrs. Stokes was
that she struck the proflteers and
when YOU strike the pockets of the
rich you may expect a thunderclap,
he declared. Can you think of a
more idealistic patriotism than to
hold that if we are to give our lives
| in this war we insist that there shall
be Just compensation for labor, but
no profits from war munitions to
build up a dominant class to foment
other wars?'
The constitution OF the United
! the war, the attorney argued, but
while there is liberty of speech, that
| liberty cannot be used TO obstruct
the carrying on of the war He held
that the mere fact that picture OF
war horrors or statement OF war
profits might not increase the de
! sire to fight, il nevertheless was not
illegal.
Asks Question.
They say she made speeches in
the East. We reply they were not
held seditious there" he said. THE
club that invited her here knew she
had returned to Socialism, and the
four last presidents of that organiza-
ton have testified they did not CON
slider her disloyal. And why would
she attempt to spread insubordina-
ton or ncite to mutiny by talking
to women 2"
Mr.. Stedman declared that the ad-
dress OF Mrs. Stokes before the
Women's Dining Club OF Kansas
City was intended for mature minds
and was theoretical
Taking up the testimony in detail,
the attorney pointed out what two
witnesses had declared Mrs. Stokes
referred to Red Cross work as war
camouhage,' but that all others re-
called no reference to the Red Cross
in the speech, and testimony had
shown Mrs. Stokes was knitting
for soldiers Just previous to her ar
rest.
She Makes Correction.
Mrs. Stokes was quoted in news
paper as having said, Il am with the
government, but against the war,
Mr.. Stedman continued. This meant
he explained, that she was with the
administration and against enlist
ments, and that she corrected it by
saying she was against the admin
istration, but for the war. The fact
that Mrs. Stokes made the correc-
ton, he asserted, showed that she
was anxious to counteract the pos
Sible effects OF her statement upon
enlistmentS and recruiting. She
could not give unqualified support
to all the government war aims,
he added.
Government Attorney Replies.
"She stands today as the most
subtle, vicious German propagandist
in America declared Francis NJ. !
Wilson, the United States district
attorney, in summing up the govern
ment's case against Mrs. Stokes.
81 do not charge that she is
paid agent of the kaiser" he con-
but | do say she is a fren-
zied fanatic on Socialism. She
wants to remedy existing conditions
according to her belief she wants
to inject her ideals in time of war.
seizing on the opportunity the war
offers for social revolution"
The district attorney vehemently
denounced the defendant for alleged
lack of patriotism and efforts TO
spread what he termed her disloval
beliefs. He quoted from her state
uViltN Oll tlC NlluCSS StdnQ 10 snow
that she had referred to the boil
shevik government of Russia in
terms and from the
statements of others that she had
said it was the ideal government and
the only true democracy.
AS to Newspaper Correction.
The prosecution dwelt upon the
fact that although Mrs. Stokes had
the letter of correction 10
the newspaper on which the indict-
ment was founded had been hastily
written and i'll considered. the in Il
ierview it purported to correct had
been published in the papers of the
evening before. and that she had all
hat night and the next morning to
deliberate on her reply.
0VI lII0lll nrI NIIrn