Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-19
Labor Will Fight
Bills on Sedition


be easily construed to mean, if in
deed it does not make it, crime, so
vague and involved is the terminol-
ogy, to wear in public any button of
an organization whose purpose it is
to secure an amendment to the con-
stitution of the United States or
any existing federal law.
Section 6 perpetuates the censor
ship Of the postmaster general over
all newspapers and printed matter.
The so-called Borah amendment,
providing court review of the post
master generals action, is sound in
principle but is inadequate to afford
protection as practical matter to
a publisher against the autocratic
action OF the postmaster general.
Censorship Set Up.
More amazing still, the proviso
sets up a censorship over any mans
private correspondence by the post
master general. 1t would be Grim
inal for example, for a man to send
a letter advocating resistane to
an injunction issued by federal
Judge ordering workers on strike to
go back to work. Moreover, this
section can be used to prevent the
organization of colored labor on
the grounds of melting racial pref
udice the intended or probable re-
suit of which appeal is to cause riot
ing, etc. No doubt advocacy CT, or
opposition, to the cause OF Irish
freedom would in some sections be
prohibited.
Section 7 would exclude from this
country, even for Libraries and in
vestigators. a large portion of the
labor literature of Europe.
Sections 9, 10 and ii contain a
grave threat aimed at labor. Section
9 makes unlawful every association
which seeks directly or indirectly
to make political change by injury
to private property. It is unhappi-
ly true that even Legitimate strike
may result in indirsct, injury to the
employers private property right in
his business. The recent steel and
coal strikes were both falsely her
aided as attempts to overthrow our
government. ..s..
Could Expel Union.
"If hostile federal judges should
decide that any particular strike has
political end in view and the
striking union is affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, the
American Federation Of Labor
would be compelled at once to expe1
the striking union or itself become
unlawful. And it would at once be-
come crime punishable by UP to
20 years imprisonment or up to $20,-
600 fine. or both, for any person any
where in the nation to rent a hall
or business Office to any labor or
ganization affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor or to give
or loan it money to send strike relief
to starving women and children.
"'1n general this is a bill against
opinion and advocacy. 1t proposes
to set up, not a government of law,
but Of man, because under its vague
and sweeping terms no man would
know what the law is until the fed
eral Judges interpret its meaning.
"The inevitable result of thi. bill,
it enacted, would be to spread a
reign Of terror over the United
States, fill the country with spies
and special agents of the Depart
ment of Justice, fill the land with
suspicion, and heresy hunting would
quickly become a national industry.
If the principle of Magma Charta
and the Declaration of independence
and the constitution of the United
States are not worth fighting to pre-
serve, l have wholly misconceived
what patriotism and love of freedom
means" @-