The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-05-05

"oHuci WHAT our SOOu lFlcnuS,
| the militant soap boxers, who shout
about freedom of speech, would think
and 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 people because OF
our freedom of thought, speech and
action. OF course, we silcnce the man
who criminally advocates lawlessness,
and we do it for the same reason that
we arrest the man who splits on the
Sidewalk. 1t 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 methods;
This constitutional provision is not q
muller on free speech, it is a gag.
What freedom can there be in
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-
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-
ton 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
communism of IDEAS but a very linn
tied communism. In fact, limited to
the Holy Seventeen" and the oracle
Dictator The people are outside the
circumference of this cOnlnunsm. In
their zone communism commands
obedience and silence The human
race has fought many a fine fight to
take the letters from the minds CT
men, and no fight was ever made for a
more essential liberty. When the
mind of man is not free, what freedom
can there be? The falling of the body,
serious as it is, is only q 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 great force for good, a great
power in securing freedom. We see
the world through the eyes of the
newspapers; it is 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 is in
di9pensable to free government.
Lenine's Change Of Heart.
Lcnine, before he came into power,
was the loudest voice in Russia, cry
ing for free speech. His pen had
been most bitter against Interference
with the freedom of the press. III his
pamphlet, Lessons of Revolution" ne
wrote:
THE printing establishments of the
labor press are raided. The bolsheviks
are arrested, not infrequently without
accusation, or on the preteXt of
charges which are simply calumnious.
ut may be argued that the proSecu-
ton of the bolsheviks is by no means
a 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
offices be raided, newspapers sup
pressed, for the crimes of individuals,
even if these crimes are proven and
sustained by law? 1t would be alto
gether different if the government de-
NidlNu VI tllc SullIc DOlSlicNlh
party, its ideas and views. But every
one knows that the government of
free Russia never could, and indeed
never attempted to do anything of the
kind"
Lenine coming into power, wrote
into the constitution anew crime. He
declared all opposition to the bolshe-
vik program crime. On this high
moral ground he struck down freedom
of thought, freedom of speech, free
dom of opinion and freedom of the
press.
In the language of 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.
Copyright 1920 Western Newspaper Union)
Message for Today.
~. ~