The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-05-31
UPHOLD FREE SPEECH,
FORD URGES COUNCIL
Continued from Page One)

IN Page One)
mental principles of freedom and to
prevent autocratic government, the
rule of might, from being establish
ed on this continent.
FRAUGHT
WITH MENACE
"The open encouragement of the
tacit acquiescence in the mob spirit
and lawlessness, whether mobs are
of representative citizens or the So
called lower orders of society, is
fraught with serious menace to So
ciety and to the most precious hb-E
critics of the people of the state.
Disloyal and seditious utterances IN
press or speech should be promptly
and fully punished, and adequate
laws for that purpose exist in the
Federal and State codes. But it lies
in the legal right of no citizen nor
set of citizens to PREJUDICE the ut
terances of any man and forbid him
to express his opinions on any sub
ject. The loyalty or. disloyalty of
any mans utterances are to be de-
termined only in the expression of
thsm, and all persons are held &C
countable for what they say under
the civil and criminal laws.
CLOUD UPON
HORIZON
"A cloud has arisen upon Mon
tana's horizon that threatens dire
consequences to- the people of the
state Class is being arrayed against
class, and bitterness is being engen-
dered; and if the lawlessness cited
is not put down, and the right of
free speech is not rescued from the
disrdpute thrown upon it, in my
opinion, conditions may follow that
will do the people and the fair name
of the state incalculable injury.
Iawlessness begets lawlessness,
and where individuals or classes of
citizens are refused their legal rights
by violence, the ordinary and natural
result is to stir the people wronged
to retaliatory violence and lawless
ness, which, as is we'll known to all
students of political matters, finally
results in the total disrs gard of law
and order and ends in anarchy.
LAWS ARE
TRAMPLED UPON
eff the deeds referred to herein
should unfortunately result in the
injury or dsath of men subjected to
Awrong in this way, in any THAI that
might follow in court, it would be
conclusively shown that the legal
rights of individuals had been with
drawn from them and the plain
provisions of the constitution and
laws of the state trampled upon.
an these aspirations of the
rights of individuals presidents in
lawlessness and violence extremely
dangerous to the conservative AMI
aw-abiding people is + airing its
head that may bring down upon
them appalling penalties.
'This is strenuous period, and It
is difficult for people, to display the
sam,a self control and act and think
as they do in normal times; but, of
all classes of society, control, mod
Grafton and due respect for law GER
tainly is most to be exp cted from
the very people who at this time
seem disposed to take the law into
their own hands.
ASKS COOPERATION
OF COUNCIL
"In view of the persistent contin :
uation of the denials of the right
of free speech and the right to make
public addresses in this state, and
in view of the purpose for which
the state council of defense was ere
ated, as | see it, I am constrained
to suggest to your honorable body
that you taiae steps to reinforce and
assist the ordinary authorities in re
pressing those engag in these in
fractions of the law and in the pun
ishment of the offenders. In making
this suggestion, I wish to say that
/ shall continue to Pr rforn my own
duty as attorney general in relation
to this matter with every means at
my disposal, and merely ask tha
cooperation of the state council of
defense so that no agency by which
law and order may be MAINTAINED
shall be neglected.
In view of the participation by
members of county councils in the
lawfsssness described, it is further
respectfully suggested to your hon
orable body that you bring to the
attention of such councils and to
/ Bo..