The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1920-08-26
MUST NOT DISTURB
POLITICAL MEETINGS
ATTORNEY GENERAL WARNS
AGAINST INTERFERENCE
WITH SPEAKERS.

IlefGe, aug. Z0.-AItOIney G6D-
eral Byron S. Payne has issued in
structions to states attorneys
throughout South Dakota calling
upon them to take steps to prevent
disturbances at political meetings.
Recently several meetings of the non
partisan league candidates have been
broken up when people attending the
meetings legged" the speakers.
Attorney General Byron declares
that while freedom of speech does
not mean absolute license, that viola
ton of this privilege must find its
condemnation through the common
sense and intelligence of the people.
Violators should be arrested and not
made victims of mob rule, he points
out. His letter to the peace officers
of the state follows:
Reports have appeared in the
newspapers of two recent instances
where political meetings have been
marked by disorders and demonstra-
tions have been made against speak
ers. No complaint has been made
by any one to this office of these hap
penings, and no details of the trans
has been contained in the newspaper
accounts. That there may not be
repetitions of such occurrences, | be-
lieve that the matter demands the at
tention of the officers charged with
enforcing the laws ands administra-
tion of justice.
Disturbances at a public meet
ing are no more to be justified than
rowdyism and fighting on the street
or other public place. Such disturb
ances are often more serious in their
results, since they usually involve not
merely differences between individ-
uals, but between the crowd and in
dividuals. The willful disturbance
or breaking up of lawful public
meeting of electors is always a
breach of the peace and is, by ex-
press provision of our statute, made
criminal offense."
"As the legal officers of the sew
eral counties charged with the duty
of enforcing the law, l am calling
upon you to take prompt and ener-
! getic steps to prevent disturbances OF
| this nature. Will you notify sheriffs,
! mayors and other police officers to
| take measures that will adequately
cope with any situation of this kind
and effectually suppress any disturb
ance that may arise at any public
meeting within your county?
eve all must remember that free
dom of speech is guaranteed by ou,
constitution, state and federal thai
to advocate change by lawful means
| in our laws or form of government is
not in itself unlawful; that the ad
yocacy of unsound doctrines and
muchmisuse of the privilege of free
speech must find it's condemnation
largely through the common sense
and intelligence of our own thinking
people.
Freedom of speech however is no
an absolute license to speak anything
one pleases free from all liabilit,
therefore, civil or criminal. If
speaker advocates criminal syndical
ism, sabotage ,sedition, treason or de
fiance of law and constituted author
ity, he should be promptly ARRESTED
and dealt with according to law
Laws defining these offenses and pre-
scribing penalties have been passe
: and lawful courts of justice hav
$ been established to try those charge
with violations, and to impose penal
6 ties when they are due.
4 but persons must not be permit
!. ted to take the law into their ow
: hands, and because of resentment a
e what they believe to be inflamator.
abusive or even unpatriotic uttel
n ances. and therefore an abuse of free
: dom of speech, undertake to mete OF
d punishment to the offender. The
4 would be the rule of the mob, not
! rule of law, and cannot be counts
nanced in government of law.
J. "Your duty istherefore clear
o these matters. You should prote'
If all lawful assemblies of electors an
j. punish by prosecutions under the la
'. all unlawful interference therewit
" You should prevent all unlawful vi
d [of speech by prosecutions under Il
n laws directed against such acts. Yo'
II earnest efforts in behalf of the for
n going is urged, and in this you mt
count upon the support OF this
le fice."