Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-23

Congress seems to be having a hard time
framing anti-sedition legislation that will
hit treason and sedition without killing con-
st1tutional liberties in the bargain. The
press very generally agrees that laws against
violent radicalism are needed, but there has
been much protest against the form which
these proposed laws have taken.
Speaking of Congressman Graham's bill
the SAN ANTONIO LIGHT Ind.) says:
mo more desperate blow at the supposed
rights of free people was ever devised, and
if this thing is enacted into law the people
Of the United States will live under
government as autocratic as any that ever
existed under the theory of divine right.
This law proposes to punish as a felony any
words spoken, printed Or written with intent
to overthrow the government of the United
States. Persons who participate in riots,
who obstruct any officer or who fail to obey
any order of court of equity, can be adj
Judged guilty of sedition and executed. And
to cap the climax, any person so accused is
by the mere fact of his accusation, deprived
OF the right guaranteed him by the constitu>
ton, to decline to testify against himself"
The NEW YORK WORLD (Dem.) be-
lieves that under the terms of this act "the
Declaration of independence is defiantly Sc
ditious," and it is supported in this opin-
ion by the TRENTON TIMES Qnd.) The
NEW BEDFORD STANDARD (Rep.) finds
fault also with Mr.. Graham's definition of
treason. Pointing out that under the Con-
stitution treason against the United States
consists "only in levying war against them
or in adhering to their enemies" the STAND
ARD observes that this is not good enough
for the author of the Graham BILL" who re-
defines treason as assisting Sin the use of
any kind of force, violence or terrorism with
intent to change the government" and pre-
scribes the death penalty whenever "the
death of any innocent person or person" re-
suits from it. ct is fortunate" adds the
N A ~ A ID
ton defined treason. If they had not, good
ness knows what offenses would, in the pres
ent state of nerves, be declared treason
able" The same passage is seized upon by
the NEW YORK TIMES (Ind. Dem.) ga
definition of treason unknown to the consti-
tution''
Of the substantially similar Sterling
bill, passed by the senate, the NEWARK
NEWS (Ind.) says:
'No need for such measure exists in this
country. Crimes of violence, plots and con-
spiracies to commit crimes of violence, may
be reached and punished under existing
laws"
The SIOUX CITY TRIBUNE (Ind.) thinks
cit begins to look as if there is lot of poll
tics in this affair. The Republican congress
must want to make Attorney General Palm
er look ridiculous,' since it is the attorney
general who has insisted most strongly on
the need for legislation Of this sort The
cal extreme that they fair in the
way of defeating the very thing ley
aiming for is seen by the CHAT---[ OOGA
TIMES (Ind. Dem.)
Numerous comparisons are made between
the present proposed laws and the "alien
and sedition laws" of 1898. Says the
DAILY NEWS (Ind.):
"The sedition law made it a high mis-
demeanor 'unlawfully to combine or con-
spire' in order to oppose the legal measures
Of the government, or in order to prevent
federal officer from executing his office or
to publish false or malicious writing
against the government with the OBJ
ject of stirring up hatred or resistance.
The evil of this law was instantly recognize
ed and so violently denounced that it was
never put into effect
The NEBRASKA STATE JOURNAL (Ind.
Rep reminds us that the passage of this
law destroyed the federalst party" and
it warns that "anything savoring of political
will cause the same sort Of re-
action in America no that it did in 1893"