Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-07-23

just government Tree from iiuucuSO
on the one hand and unmoved by
intimidation on the other.
1t would be the blindness of folly
to ignore the activities in our own
country which are aimed to destroy
our economic system, and to COM
NIT us to the colossal tragedy
which has both destroyed all free
dom and made Russia impotent.
This movement is not to be halted in
throttled liberties. We must not
abridge the freedom of speech, the
freedom Of press or the freedom of
assembly, because there is no
promise in repression. These lib
critics are as sacred as the freedom
of religious belief. as inviolable as
the rights Of life and the pursuit of
happiness. We do hold to the right
to crush sedition, to stifle a
menacing contempt for law, to stamp
out a peril to the safety of the re-
public or its people, when emergency
calls, because security and the
majesty of the law are the first
essentials of liberty. He who
threatens destruction of the govern
nent by force or f1aunts his con-
tempt for lawful authority, ceases to
be a loyal citizen and forfeits his
rights to the freedom of the repub-
lie.
Riahts Impose oblis ations
Let it be said to all of America
that our plan of popular govern
ment contemplates such orderly
changes as the crystallized intelli-
gence of the majority of our people
think best. There can be no modi-
fication of this underlying rule, but
no majority shall abridge the rights
of q minority. Men have a right
to question our system in fullest free
dom, but they must always remem-
Der that the rights of freedom impose
the obligations which maintain it..
Our policy is not of repression, but
we make appeal today to American
intelligence and patriotism, when the
republic is menaced from within, just
as we trusted American patriotism
when our rights were threatened from
without.
We call on all America for steadi-
ness, so that we may proceed deliber-
ately to the readjustment which con-
Germs all the people. Our party plat
form fairly expresses the conscience
Of Republicans on industrial relations.
No party Is Indifferent to the welfare
fortune Is OF deepest concern, and We
seek to make the good fortune per-
manent. We do not oppose but ap
prove collective bargaining. because
that is an outstanding right, but we
are unalterably insistent that it's ex
ercise must not destroy the equally
sacred right Of the Individual, in his
necessary pursuit of livelihood. Any
American has the right to quit his
employment, so has every American
the right to seek employment. The
group must not endanger the individ-
ual, and we must discourage groups
preying upon one another, and none
shall be allowed to forget that gov
ernment's obligations are alike to all
the people.
Reveal So Public May Decide
. l hope we may do more than mere
ly discourage the losses and suffer-
ings attending industrial conflict.
The strike against the government IS
properly denied, for government SER
vice involves none of the elements of
profit which relate to competitive en-.
terprise. There is progress in the es-
Enlistment of official revealment of
issues and conditions which lead to
conflict, SO that unerring public SEN
timent may speed the adjustment,
but I hope for that concord of pur-
pose, not forced but inspired by the