Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-06-24

rights, and then commands the peOpl.
not To dare use those rights, il thell
exercise might be detrimental to the
Lenine-Trotsky government. The right
TO voice thoughts is sentenced to ST
lence. Freedom Of opinion is crushed
Who is 70 determine what rights, If
exercised might be detrimental TO a
socialist revolution? The meaning is
as plain as the command is stern. Fall
in line with bolshevism or perish, is
the order. If you disagree with our
plans and methods, "be seen but not
heard"
l wonder what our good friends,
the militant soap boxers, who shout
ABOUT freedom of speech would rhink
ana say If in these days Of unrest the
congress of the United States and the
president should make such a pro-
nouncement. America, radical and
conservative, would rise in protest
against any such law We live, grow
and progress as a people because of
| our freedom of thought, speech and
| action. OF course, we silence the man
who criminaily advocates lawlessness,
and we do II for the same reason that
we arrest the man who spits on the
sidewalk. II is to conserve the public
welfare, the common good of the great
majority who do not believe in vio-
.lence and disorder What would hap
pen to our Red" agitators if they
were in Russia today instead of In the
United States, and ventured a single |
disagreement with the bolshevik pro-
gram, either in policy or methodist |
This constitutional provision is not
muller on free speech, it is a gag.
What freedom can there be in a |
country in which opinion is shackled? |
How can nation make progress ex-
.cept by the conflict and friction of
opinion? In the United States, expe.
trfence has taught US that the majority
Is generally right, that the many can
be trusted. We have put into prac-
3tice the idea that many heads are bet
ter than one. The bolshevik constitu-
tion launches the policy that wisdom
can only come from few minds-the
fewer, the better. This IS the method
they adopted to socialize freedom of
thought, freedom of speech, 1t means
"a communism of ideas, but very lin
tied communism. In fact limited to1
the Y Holy :SeYenteeIs and the oracle I,
dictator. The people are outside the
circumference of this communism. In {
their zone communism commands /
obedience and silence. The human
race has fought many a fine fight to
take the fetters from the minds OF I
more essential liberty. When the =,
mind of man Is not free, what freedom i,
can there be? The falling of the body,
serious as it is, is only small in
terference with mans liberty COM ;,
pared with the Imprisonment of his
mind. u
This constitutional clamp muzzles
the press. Notwithstanding all the 4
which may be justly made
against the press, the fact remains
hat the newspapers of the world have
oeen great force for good, great A
!
he world through the eyes Of the D
newspapers 1t is our source Of infor- t(
nation; we depend upon 1t for the 6,
acts upon which we base our opin-
Ons. Notwithstanding the bitter par p
isan character Of the press, few pa
ice when the public interest is men,
ced The press has thrown the
of terrible publicity on this
ltholes and driven out the political
ats. The freedom of the press is in
iSpensable to free government. w
Lenine's Change of Heart. be
Lenine, before he came into power,
as the loudest voice In Russia, cry
lg for free speech. His pen had 81
cen most bitter against interference
ith the freedom of the press. In his
amphlet, Lessons Of Revolution" he 81
rote:
"The printing establishments of the
Dor press are raided. The bolsheyiks s''
g arrested, not infrequently without
'cusation, or on the pretext of -.
larges which are simply calumnious
ut may be argued that the prosecu- d
On of the bolsheviks is by no means hi
violation of free speech, since only
rtain persons on specific charges
e thus prosecuted. But such argu- OF
ants bear the earmarks of premedi-
ted untruth. For why should printing
ices be raided, newspapers sup w
essed, for the crimes of individuals, go
EN- If these crimes are proven and ca,
stained by law? 1t would be alto
ther different If the government de-
red criminal the entire bolshevik ne,
rty, its ideas and views. But every -:
e knows that the government OF ''~
'e Russia never could. and indeed
yer attempted to do anything of the II,
ID"
Lenine coming into power, wrote So'
o the constitution new crime. He 4
,lared all opposition to the bolshe- a.
program crime. On this high wv
raj ground he struck down freedom at
Thought. freedom of speech, free