Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-30
|SEDITION BILL
HOTLY DEBATED

Attorney General Says 1t Is
Essential; Labor Leaders
Object to Measure
| The Flynn anti-sedition bill,
which figured yesterday afternoon
in one of the most remarkable hear
ings ever held on Capitol Hill, was
declared by Attorney General Will
lam 1. Schaffer in an able exposition
OF the bill to be essential to the
maintenance of law and order In
Pennsylvania in event of certain
contingencies which may arise and
denounced by some of the most
prominent labor leaders in Pennsyl-
vania as vicious, i'll timed, repres-
siVe and wrong in spirit. The hear
ing was held by the House commit
tee on judiciary general and lasted
for almost five hours. 1t was close
to o'clock when the hearing ended
with a strong plea by James II.
Maurer, president of the State Fed
Grafton of Labor, to negative the bill.
Chairman w. H. Dithrich announced
that the whole committee would
consider the bill, which it was stat
ed by the Attorney General would
be amended in several features.
At times, the hearing became very
lively. The remarks of the labor
representatives, who came from al
most every county and represented
almost three-quarters of a million
of organized workers, were strong
ly against the bill, especially
Thomas Kennedy, Hazelton miners
leader; Morris Phillips, Pittsburgh
. | mi nro' 1no6 AT, Tho
latter closed the arguments. Mr..
Schaffer said that the bill was drawn
at the request of the Governor and
that it was aimed at enemies of the
Government and that labor need not
fear it. Labor men rejoined that
in event of Bolshevism raising its
head, the State could call organized
labor to put down disorder and that
no more laws were required.
George Rowan, representing the
railroad brotherhoods, said he spoke
for $4,000 men and that they feared
court interpretations. LAS to the
I. w. W. or Bolsheviki." said he.
when the time comes for them to
rise. we will not need secret police
and anti-sedition laws. Give us our
present police laws and turn them
over to organized labor. I'll guar
antee you need have no fear"
Mr.. Rowan said some labor men
did lose their heads, but so did leg
islators and lawyers. However
labor generally takes care of its
men who lose their heads"
Clifford Pinchot presented as
representative of the State Grange
on the joint Labor Grange commit
tee, said the bill was against free
speech. He declared there was no
sympathy for Bolshevism or disor-
der, but Bolshevism is the child of
repression. He asserted the bill
makes for the contempt and hatred
which the measure seeks on its face
to repress. Sober common sense, he
remarked in closing, should laugh
the bill out of the Legislature.
John A. McSparran, master of the
State Grange, said the bill was the
first interference with free speech
since the press muZzler of 1908. The
people have been loyal and peace
able in the midst of war. said he,
and there are now ample police
powers. The element of protest Is
at the very basis of Democracy and
liz American institutions are threat
ened. the people will rout the dis
| turbers.
Mr.. McSparran said the bill was
"a good example of straight out
Bolshevism" and there was no pub
lie demand for it. He predicted that
if passed, the law would be repealed
in 1921, just as the press mueller
was repealed within a few years of
its enactment.
N. p. Alifus. of the International
Union of Machinsts', said Bolshe-
vism was dangerous to trade unions
and he thought the best way to com
bat it was to show it's absurdity.
When Steve Mcdonald, president
of the Scranton Central Labor Union,
iarose to speak, he asked if 1t was
the Governors bill.
"I drew the act" remarked the
Attorney General.
| Mr.. Mcdonald said the bill would
crystalline persecution and that,
while there are men who insist that
it has good intentions, he did not
want to take q chance. If Lincoln,
Patrick Henry Roosevelt and others
had lived under a law like that pro
posed, they would have been in
felon's cell most of the time.
The State needs remedial legisla
ton. not anti-sedition bills, contend
ed Mr.. Kennedy. who said the party
that puts the law on the books will
have much to answer for.
! Robert Wheeler. an Allentown
councilman, said the hearing was
the joining of the issue between the
forces of Democracy and reaction
in Pennsylvania. He said he did
not think any power could enforce
such an act. and considered that
reason. toleration and concilliation
should rule now instead of desire
to pass such bill.
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