Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-04-13
ROOSEVELT EMPHATIC
IN HIS CRITICISM
COLONEL DENOUNCES PROVISION
IN THD DISIOTAILTY BILL
NOW PENDING.
Kansas City, April 5.-The Kan
sas City Star publishes the following
editorial:

oao Siss otaI puollehSc liic AoliOWiuB
EDITORIAL:
CITIZENS OR SUBJECTS.
(By Theodore Rooseyelt.)
In self-governing country, the
people arc called citizcns. Under a
dospotism or autocracy tho people are
called subjects this is because in q
FREQ country the people are them
solves sovereign, while in a tespotic
country tho people arc under SOW
erelgn.
In the United States the people
arc oil citizens, including its Prcsi-
dent. The rest Of Thorn nre fellow
citizens OF the President. In Cor
many the people are all subjects Of
tho kaiser. Thoy are not his follow
Is the essential difference between
the United States and Germany, but
tho difference would vanish II we
now submitted to the foolish or
traitorous persons who endeavor to
mako 1t crime to tell the truth
about the administration when the
administration is guilty OF incompe-
tonce or other short comings. Such
endeavor is itself n crime against tho
nation. Those who take such an at
titudo are guilty OF moral treason OF
a kind both abjoct and dangerous.
WHERE LOYALTY IS DUE. :
Our loyalty Is due entirely to the
United States. 1t is duo to the
President only and exactly to the
degree In which he efficiently serves
the United States. It Is our duty to
support him whom he serves the
United States well; it Is our duty to
oppose him when he serves it badly.
This Is true about Mr.. Wilson now,
and 1t has been true about all our
Presidents in the past. 1t Is our
duty at oil times to tell the truth
about the President and about every
one else. save in the cases where to
toll tho truth at the moment would
benefit tho public enemy.
Since this war began the suppress
sion Of tho truth by and about the
administration has been habitual. In
rare cases this has been disadvan-
tageons to the enemy. In the vast
majority Of cases 1t has been advan-
tagcous to tho enemy, detrimental
to the American people and useful to
tho administration only from the po-
litical, not the patriotic standpoint.
The Senate judiciary committee
has just recommended the passage of
law In which, among many excel
lont propositions to put down dis
loyalty. there has been adroitly
inserted provision that any ono who
uses ''contemptuous or slurring Ian
guago about the President" shall be
punished by Imprisonment for long
term of years and by n fine OF many
thousand dollars.
This proposed law is sheer treason
to the United States, under It's terms
Abraham Lincoln would have been
sent to prison for what he repeatedly
said OF Presidents Polk, Pierce and
Buchanan. Under It's terms Prcsi-
dent Wilson would be free to speak
OF Senator-elect Lenroot as he has
spoken, but Senator Lenroot would
not be free truthfully to answer
President Wilson. 1t is q proposal
to make Americans subjects instead
OF citizens. 1t is proposal to put
the President in the position Of the
Hohenzollcrns and IRomanoffs.
GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE.
Government by the people means
that the people have the right to do
their own thinking and to do their
own speaking about their public SER
wants. They must speak truthfully,
and they must not be disloyal to the
country, and it is their highest duty
by truthful criticism to make and
keep the public servants loyal to tho
country. Any truthful criticism
could and would be held by partisan
ship to be slurring or contemptuous
The Delaware house Of represen-
tatives has just shown this. 1t came
within one vote OF passing q resolu-
ton demanding that the Department
of Justice proceed against me because
In my recent speech in Maine I Sc
verely criticised tho Conduct OF our
national government" I DEFY any
human being to point out state
ment in that speech which was not
true and which was not patriotic, and
yet the decent and patriotic members
Of the Delaware legislature were
only able to secure majority of one
against the base and servile PARTISAN
ship CT those who uphold the resolu-
ton.
CALLS 1T UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
believe the proposed law is UNI
constitutional. If it Is passed,
shall certainly'egive the government
the opportunity to test it's conStitu-
tionality, for whenever tho need
arises I shall in the future speak
truthfully OF the President in praise
or in blame, exactly as I have done
in the past. When the President in
the past uttered his statements about
being too proud to fight and wishing
peace without victory and contending
that we had no special grievance
against Germany I spoke Of him as it
was my high duty to speak.
Therefore I spoke of him truth
fully and severely, and care nothing
whether or not timid and unpatriotic
and shortsighted mon said that