The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-12-05
mrI<G stDITIoN,

In hroas y "e there Is much hostility ID"
Ame,.c, rov.N legislative ennc,mco,s acfo-
INK md punishtng acdtuou. rorhops It "ou,d
toe moro accurate 10 nay that the feeling Is not
80 much ono of hostility as fear Hecause free
speech Is a constitutional right, and. free speech
docH not flourish In an atmosphere rocking with
s"d,ion laws
A condition has grown up however, that
seems 10 make Home sort % acditIon laws nee.
essary The constitutional right ~ fr"c speech
has been srtEcd on 10 Justify license and r"voin-
ton There must be had Pean" for stamping
this out There can he We believe without IN
vndlng the cherished rights Of free speech OF
the established custom ot rritcislnR our public
agents and wholesome rivalry between our po.
ltica organizations
Ye, We do not believe that the department
at Justice has succccdcd In drafting an accept.
able bll IN IL t. 'losbO which has been IN.
iroduccd bY Representative Davcy Of IN" IAN
ohio district now pending IN the house and
which tho government Ia prc'rtrg" for Seact-
ment Wv do not assert there Is any impto-
priety contemplated In enforcing such a law
what We do mean To tpont out is the posIhil-
tiles Tor insehevous and impossible autocrncy
In enforcing IT, That va must guard against
TIE secuon defining scdition is no, so oh
,octionabIs For scdition per Sc Is distinguish
able nut In the second section wherein pro.
noting scdItlon" Ia defined and penalIhed, mgr"
are possibilities which must give one consider
able pause before onnhg the measure the in
fluencc OF ones approval We quote .
\ Whoever makes. displays, writes, prints
or oirculntcs or knowingly aids or abcts the
making displaying. writing printing, or cir
culptlng OF any sign word, speech, picture
de~isn, argument. OF teaching which al
viscs. advocates, teaches, or iuslfies any act
uf sedtion nA hcreiuhetorc defined, or any
act which tends to inCitc scditlou us here
inbetnrc defined or organizes or assists or
ioins IN the organization ofc or becomes
or remains a member OF or affiliated with
any society or organization whether tn"
same be formerly organized or moi, which
has for Its object, In Whole or In part tho
advising, advocating, teaching OF Ju"tify-
ing nf any act OF scdition hs heretnhrfutc
defined or the melting Of sedltion as here
inbetorc defined shall be deemed guilty OF
promoting ScdtlUu, and, upon conviction
thereof shah he punished by fine nr not
exceeding 10000. or by imprisonment Of
not exceeding 10 years or by both such fine
and imprisonment In the discretion of the
court
In asking either for greater dcfnitencss Rs
to the specific acts prohibited or an exception,
clearly stated. for the long established rrac-
ticc OF liberal criticism. within our political
activities of public agents Of all degrees, II
may be that Wa are too conscious Of tho auto
cratic methods recently employed 10y tho post
master general when clothed with the authority
TO enforce such act as war measure. That
might be for ""the burned child breads the dirc "
Publications wcrc denied tho mails whose
editors we're beyond all question virio patricia,
and whose only sin was fhat they criticized
not tho government. but Irs political agcn's.
oot.thc president Iand his policies. no.
only justified but impsrativey demanded IN the
Interest " the nation. wero held To be In
violation of the sedition act
As between that sort OF an autncratc official
and tho existing condition we would
choose II compelled to make an elccttsn. existing
conditions For the rod" are not going 10 ruin
America 4 scntient citizenship stands between
inen aud that while such a reprcsstyc policy
,s might grow out Of such srdltion act as that
proposed might very easily result ~ establish
ing an autocracy impossible ~ dslodsmcnt
We can protect ourselves without abandon
Ing any Of the tlmo proven liberties accorded
under ,he constitution. let us do that, sancy
and firmly