The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-12-21
psEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
WHAT is ESPIONAGE?

The espionage act makes IL d GRIM
inal offense to interfere with the gov
eminent or try to restrict or hampe
it in prosecuting war with Tor
eign foe. There have been many ar
rests for this new offense since thu
war began. Men who have denounced
the government have been brough
into court and many of them hav'
been given long terms in the fedora
prisons. A number of such arrest
have been made in Latah county. }
w. Brigham, prominent farmer, for
mer state senator and member OF the
constitutional convention was arrested
for this offense. Three organizers
of the nonpartizan league were ar
rested for violation of the espionage
act in Latah county and are now I'M
der bonds for trial at the March term
of the federal court.
Victor Berger, a radical socialist
of Milwaukee, who was elected to con-
gress at the November election, with
several other socialists, was arrested
for this offense and they are now
being tried in the federal court. A
strong case was made out against
them. 1t was shown they had said
many things derogatory to President
Wilson and the government OF the
United States. When the government
had completed it's case against them
the defense asked that the case be
dismissed on the ground that the gov
eminent had not made out case
against them. Judge K. M. Lands,
of the federal court, refused to dis
miss the case, holding that there was
strong evidence of the guilt OF the
defendants.
The defense then introduced evil
dence. Adolph Germer, one of the
was charged with having
made speech derogatory to the gov
eminent and the war, in Chicago on
August 10, 1917. He claimed as a
defense that he only repeated state
ments that had been made by
Theodore Roosevelt in public speeches
and in articles that were published
widely through the press of the coun-
.ry. That is his defense. He has re-
,eated charges made by the former
president and is being tried on a
charge for his utterances.
Now it is up to the court and the
ury to decide whether it is espionage
which is a form of treaSon) for a
an I. w. W. and a nonpartl-
an to make statements and charges
gainst the government and oppose
s conduct of the war and patriotism
Or an ex-president and United States
enators and congressman to make
he same statements. 1t has not been
harged that Berger and his socialist +
ssociates have said anything worse {
yainst the government than La Fol- ,
tie said at the nonpartizan meeting r
ST. Paul, yet La Toilette has been
hite- washed and the charges against
m dropped. a prominent news
lper recently said: Il
at has become dangerous for any q
lie but ex-presidenl, members of t
ngress and United States senators T.
talk treason in the United States"
lere appears to be good grounds for
e charge. p,
- - "a al
There is much dissatisfaction with b,
2 present primary law and the com L,
: legislature will probably take
ne action to amend it. The law
) never been satisfactory and it is tn
8 so now than ever. Theoretically co
} law is all right, but practically it tn
all wrong. The theory of letting tn
voters select the candidates seems
hit, but all too often, under the
.sent law, the theory fails to work az
satisfactory. Under the direct ka
mary law, which is very expensive ar
the tax payers, any man with ha
ugh money to pay the filing fee
become candidate. This does
", to large extent, with party re-
anization and party interests. Men no
I'M no political party would dare -.
innate in a convention, are fire.
ntly nominated in the direct pri
y and elected at the general cleo Ia
/. Under the old convention sys-
men of such mediocre ability TIL
ID never be nominated. There is Pu