The Hope pioneer., 1920-06-24

the mllltant 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 pro-
nouncement. America, radical and
conservative, would rise in protest
against any such law. We live, grow
ana progress as a people because of
our freedom of thought, speech and
action. OF course, we silence the man
who criminally advocates lawlessness,
and we do it for the same reason that
we arrest the man who spits on the
sidewalk. 1t is to conserve the public
welfare, the common good of the great
majority who do not believe in vio-
!ence and disorder. What would hap
pen to our Red" agtators if they
were in Russia today instead of in the
United States, and ventured Il single
disagreement with the bOlShevik pro-
gram, either in policy or methodist
This constitutional provision is not q
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-
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-
tlon launches the policy that wisdom
can only come from a few minds-the
fewer, the better. This is the method
they adopted to socalize freedom of
thought, freedom of speech 1t means
communism of ideas, but very lim-
lted 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 fine fight to
take the fetters from rhc minds CT
men, and no fight was ever made for q
more essential liberty. When the
mind of man is not free, what freedom
can there be? The jaiing 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 a great force for good. 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
per> know party lines or party preju-
dice when the public interest is men
aced. The press has thrown the
searchlght IF terrible publicity on the
ratholes and driven out the political
rats. The freedom Of the press is in
dispensable to free government.
IenIHeS Indn9e OF f7edrI.
Lenine. 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. In his
pamphlet, Lessons of Revolution" he
wrote:
THE printing establishments of the
labor press are raided. The b0lShevikS
arc arrested, not infrequently without
accusation. or on the preteXt of
charges which are simply callmnious.
ut may be argued that tie prosecu.
tion Of the hOlShevikS is ',y no means
violation of free speech, since only
certain persons on specific charges
are thus prosecuted But such argu-
mentS bear the earlnarkS 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
Sether different if 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, and indeed
never attempted to do anything Of the
kind"
Lenine coming into power. wrote
into the constitution Il new 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 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.
Copyright. 1920. Western Newspaper Unon)
Message for Today.
BY far the greater part Of the suf-
feriny and crime which exist at this