Arizona republican., 1920-01-14
JOHNSON READY TOTAKE TREATY
 ID THE PEOPLE
Accepts Challenge of the
 President to Make Pact Campaign Fight in Fall Regardless of Attitude of Republican Party Up holds Right of FreeSpeech
lRepubltcan A. p. Leased wirel

NEW YORK, Jan. 13.-Senator Hi- ram Johnson of California declared in an address in Brooklyn tonight he would accept the challenge of Presi- dent Wilson to take the ratification of the peace treaty to the people.
 T don't care whether republican leaders accept this gage of battle or not he said. For one, I accept the issue, and I shall go to the people. A subject which deals so intimately with the treasure and blood of the average American Is a subject upon which he has the right to ultimate decision. Politicians upon one side or the other may seek to avoid this issue, but I say with all solemnity, if the politicians unite in absolute unanimity in hiding this subject and endeavoring to pre- vent its discussion, the American peo pie will wrest it from the politicians and themselves decide it'
 After reiterating his advocacy of the treaty with reservations, Senator Johnson warned against suppression of free speech and the right of assem- blaze. Every infringement of the law should be drastically punished. he said, and no endeavor to overturn the gov. ernment by force or violence could be tolerated. ''but the difficulty In some quarters appears to be a certain vagueness as to what constitutes law and order.
 Opposes Suppression
 There is real danger" he asserted, that in our just anger against those who advocate or justify crimes of vio- lence we may be led by reactionary politicians or newspapers who are wearing the livery of pa triotism. or by our own zeal, into extravagance of suppression which will imperfl the very very foundation of the republic. the fundamental principles of free speech and free assemblage.
 ''There are those today" he contin- ued, "who, flashing themselves into fury againstmen holding opinions con- trary to theirs, would suppress free, legitimate expression; and, on the other hand, there are those who preach sedition and who would destroy all human initiative and confiscate the fruits of all human endeavor. Your task and mine, indeed, that of the re- publican party, is to prevent the con- summation of either wicked design and safely to proceed on our way between reaction on the one hand and ultra on the other.
 The preacher of violence and the public advocate of bomb and the torch. must be drastically dealt with under the law and by the laws pro- cedure punished for its violation But the right of any citizen within the law to express his views and beliefs is as sacred as the right of property itself and must be as zealously guarded. The reaction which would prevent legitimate free speech, which would make government the mentor of mems honest opinion, spells in itself revolution"
 Agitation Not Unlawful
 ''In a free country" the senator con- tfnued. 'men and women may agitate, for such political reforms and changes as they see fit; but they must con- fine their agitation to lawful means and stay within the constitution. When however. men within the constitution agitate for social or political change, elect representatives to a legislative body, all Americans, although they may be as far apart as the poles from the political ideas expressed. must de- rnand that the constitution be obeyed and respected and the representatives thus elected by the minority, acting within the law and the constitution, must be protected. If you can exclude socialists in New York today tomor- row you may exclude republicans in and democrats in Penn sylvania.