The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-12-12
A SANER
MEASURE

Whereas the measure presented
by Senator Miles Poindexter for the
preservation of our government
seemed too general, and too danger
GUS to be justified by the menace of
an ignorant minority Of our citizens
and non-citizens, measure aimed
specifically at the Reds" now
comes up for consideration. 1t is
House Bill 1860, by Martin L.
Davey, M. c. 1t provides q stern
penalty for sedition and defines sedi-a
ton. Senator Poindexter included
even the appearance of sedition in
his bill and therefor. one cannot
think of congress passing it.
The bill of Mr.. Dayey also in
cludes enough to cause inquietude
among innocent reformers, for it de-
fines sedition as Tin part) an act
with intent to cause the change,
overthrow, or destruction of the gov
eminent or of any of the laws or
authority thereof" while as
matter of fact it would appear to
laymen that some administration
like the present one might make
laws that plenty of good citizens
would want to cause changes in.
The first section of the bill,
headed "Sedition" reads:
whoever, with the intent to levy
war against the United States, or to
cause the change, overthrow, or de-
struction of the government or OF
any of the laws or authority thereof,
or to cause the overthrow or destruc-
ton of all forms of law or organized
government, or to oppose, prevent,
hinder, or delay the execution of any
law of the United States, or the free
performance by the United States
government or any one of its Of
ficers, agents, or employees OF its or
his public duty, commits, or at
tempts or threatens to commit, any
act of force against any person or
any property, or any act of terror
ism, hate, revenge, or injury against
the person or property Of any officer,
agent or employee of the United
States, shall be deemed guilty of Sc
dition, and upon conviction thereof,
shall be punished by fine not ex-
ceeding $4,000 or by Imprisonment
for period not exceeding twenty
years, or by both such fine and i'm
prisonment, in the discretion of the
court
his would be broad enough to
cover all seditious malefactiOns, and
has scope left over for persecution
if the laws were administered by
small, narrow men. But such laws
are always intended for use against
actual wrong-doers who have many
ways of wriggling free when prose-
cuted and are meant for the use OF
judicials who have discretion.
Section two, entitled Promoting
Sedition" states the means by which
one may incur the above penalty:
Whoever makes, displays, writes,
prints, or circulates, or knowingly
aids or abets the making, displaying,
writing, printing or circulating or
any sign, word, speech, picture, de-
sign, argument, or teaching which
advises, advocates, teaches, or justi-
fies any It of sedition as hereinbe-
fore defined, or any act which tends
to incite seditiOn as hereinbefore de-
fined, or organizes or assists, or
joins in the organization of, or be-.
comes or remains member of, or
affiliated with, any society or organ
ization, whether the same be form
ally organized or not, which has for
it's object, in whole G. in part, the
advising, advocating ,eaching, or
fxytr, ~ nat ~ a @
hereinbefore defined shall be
deemed guilty of pr ,lnoti g sedition,
and upon conviction thereof, shall be
punished by a fine. of not e.: eeding
1000, or by imprisonm al. Of not
exceeding ten years, or by 10Th such
fine and imprisonment, il the dis
erection of the court
Sections three and four authorize
the deportation and decentralization
of aliens and citizens guilty under
this act of sedition.
Considering the embracing char
acter of these acts one would think
that heretofore the nation had been
poorly supplied with legal protection
against internal anarchists and re-
formers, and would wonder how we
have existed SO safely so long.
We already have the Espionage
Act which is as long as your arm,'
but which these legislators think is
insufficient
The truth is, perhaps, that to sup
press all internal dangers to existing
government and law and order
everywhere it takes less legislation
and more execution of law by prop
erly constituted authorities. The
most perfect law will not enact it's
own provisions. 1t takes judicial
hack hone not laws in hooks to