The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-03-18

and say IL In these days Of unrest the
congress of the United States and the
president should make such pro-
nouncement. America, radical and
conservative, would rise in protest
against any such law. We live, grow
and progress as people because OF
our freedom of thought, speech ana
action. OF course, we silence the man
who criminally advocates lawlessness,
and we do 1t for the same reason that
we arrest the man who spits on the
sidewalk. 1t Is to conserve the PUBIC
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 single
disagreement with the bolshevik pro-
gram, either in policy or methodist
This constitutional provision Is not q
muffier on free speech, it is 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
opinIon7 In the United States. expe-
rience has taught US that the majority
is generally right, that the many can
be trusted. We have put into prac-
tice 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
q communism Of ideas, but very llm-
tied communism. In fact. limited to
the "Holy Seventeen" and the oracle
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
men. and no fight was ever made for q
more essential liberty. When the
mind Of man is not free. what freedom
can there BET The failing Of the body.
serious as 1t is, is only small In
reference with mans liberty COM
pared with the Imprisonment Of his
mind.
This constitutional clamp muzzles
the press. Notwithstanding all the
criticism which may be justly made
against the press, the fact remains
that the newspapers Of the world have
been a great force for good. a great
power in securing freedom. We see
the world through the eyes Of the
newspapers; 1t IL our source Of infor-
nation; we depend upon It for the
facts upon which we base our opin-
ions. Notwithstanding the bitter par
tisan character Of the press, few pa
pers know party lines or party preju-
dice when the public interest is men
aced. The press has thrown the
searchlight Of terrible publicity on the
ratholes and driven out the political
rats. The freedom Of the press y In
dispensable to free government.
tsnlns's Change Of Hsart.
Lenine, before he came into power,
was the loudsst voice In Russia. cry
ing for free speech. His pen had
been most bitter against Interference
with the freedom Of the press. In his
pamphlet, Lessons Of Revolution" As
wrote:
''The printing establishments Of the
labor pred are raidsd. The bolsheviks
are arrested. not infreQusntly without
accusation, or on the pretext Of
charges which are simply calumnious.
ut may be argued that the prosecu-
tion Of the bolsheviks II hy NO means
4 violation Of free speech. since only
certain persons on specific charges
are thus prosecuted. But such argu-
ments bear the earmarks Of premedi-
tated untruth. For why should printing
of'ices be raided. newspapers sup
pressed. for the crimes Of individuals.
sustained by law1 1t would be alto
sether different II the government de-
clared criminal the entire bolshevik
party. its ideas and views. But every
one knows that the government Of
free Russia never could. end indeed
never attempted to do anything Of the
kind"
Lenine coming into power. wrote
into the constitution 4 new crime. He
declared ali opposition to the bolshe-
vik program q crime. On this high
moral ground he struck down freedom
Of thought, freedom of speech. free
dom. Of opinion and freedom Of the
: press. 81.
In the language of a great radical,
the time will come when the silence
! of the people of Russia will be more
powerful than the voices throttled by
the bolshevik gag today.
(Copy right 1890. Western Newspaper Union)
FORFEITURE NOTICE
To Al MoIn,nraap.