The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1918-05-08
SOCIALIST ONLY ONE
TO VOTE AGAINST BILL
Measure Contains Drastic Punishment
for VioIstors of Its Provisions
Postmaster General Is Given Broad
Powers Over Matter PASSING
Through the Mails.

Washington, May Final execu-
tive action was taken today on the
|sedition BILL giving the government
broad new powers to punish disloval
acts and utterances. Adopting a con-
ference report already approved by
the senate, the house sent to the
president for his signature the meas
ure which had been before the con-
gress for weeks, assailed as a menace
to free speech and championed as es
|sential to order at home during the
war.
The president is expected to sign
the bill promptly and through vig-
orous enforcement of its provisions.
officials of the department of justice
say they will be able to do much
toward the checking of the wave of
mob outbreaks for which unpublished
disloyalty and enemy activity are
blamed.
Penalties OF twenty years imprison-
ment or a fine of $4,000, or both, are
provided In the bill for those convicted
lof uttering or printing disloyal,
abusive. profane, scurrilous, contemp-
tuous or abusive language about the
United States or government; the
form of government, or the flag and
for those who are convicted of favor
ing Germany or her allies In the
present war.
The debate in the house was moth
ing like so extended as in the senate
and while some opposition developed
there, only Representative London, of
New York, The socialist, voted against
the conference report on the final
test. Representative Lundeen, of
Minnesota, republican, and Church, of
California, democrat, voted present.
Representative London sought vainly
to send the report back to confer
ence because of the elimination of
the senate amendment exempting
from penalty those who In criticism
of the government spoke the truth
with good motives and for justifiable
ends.
Representative Gordon, of Ohio,
democrat, declared the senate placed
language in the bill (which plainly is
in violation of the federal constitu-
ton guaranteeing free speech"
Others opposed the bill largely be-
cause OF their objection to comforting
new censorship powers on the post
N4rh1 90 astth n
deny the service of the mails to any
| person or concern using the mails In
/ violation of the proposed act.
Representative Johnson, of Wash
ington, attacked Representative Lon
don's criticism of the provision of
using abusive language against the
Iconstitution of the United States and
wanted to know whether the socialist
member approved the activities Of the
| /. w. w.
"When q group of conscienceless
employers refuse to recognize the
right of people to organize, they will
have to deal with the l. w. W." Rep
Preventative London replied, Il believe
the l. W. w is the working out OF
the law of compensation.
Il am eternally opposed to having
the constitution made over along the
lines of Carl Marx book on social
ISM" retorted MIR Johnson, "and J
am also opposed to making the stars
and stripes into red flag of revolu-
tion for the anarchists or the |. w. w
or the socialists"
Representative Webb. of Norti
Carolina, chairman of the judiciar,
committee, and Representative Gra.
ham, of Pennsylvania, republican, whi