Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-01-19

declared It's enactment would
the whole American people Of tn
guarantees of free government.
IF the American people and. in fact.
a majority Of the members of congress.
Mr.. Gompers asserted. were awake to
the dangers concealed in this bill, storm
Of indignation would sweep the nation.
1T has been widely advertised that
this measure protects free speech fully,
hut prevents advocacy Of forcible revolu
tion. bolshevism and anarchy. In TACT.
it would perpetuate an autocracy censor
ship over the entire American press. 1t
can be used to kill free speech and free
assembly. 1t strikes a deadly blow at
legitimate organizations Of labor. or any
other progressive movement for the bet
tcrment Of the masses. which may be
opposed BY the advocates Of privilege
and reaction.
Yields to None in Loyalty.
or private in our loyalty to the consti-
tuition and institutions Of this republic;
no self-respecting man has questioned,
or dare question, that loyalty.
1--WE are for evolution. not for revo-
luton: for ballots. not bullets: for
majority rule. not class dictatorship Of
bolsheyism. plutocracy or Of the profit
GERS.
eve oppose this bill because every
legitimate purpose for which It is
framed is already covered by existing
law. It's ilegitimate features, which
compose two-thirds of the draft. are ut
terly autocratic. imperialistic and I'M
American
Referring to Attorney General Pal
mer's contention that new laws are neces
sary to reach the individual who advo
Gates opposition to the government by
violence Mr.. Gompcrs cited section 4
Of the penal code and asked:
Perpetuates Censorship, Claim
IF revolution is afoot. why has not
the department Of justice made prosecu-
tions under that section?
'Section 5 Of the bill. unbelievable as
it may seem. may easily be construed to
mean. if indeed it does not make it, a
crime. so vague and involved Is the term
inoiogy. to wear in public any button Of
an organization whose purpose it is to
secure an amendment to the constitution
Of the United States or any existing
| federal law.
Section 6 perpetuates the censorship
Of the postmaster general over all news
papers and printed matter. The so-called
Borah amendment. providing a court re-
view Of the postmaster generals action
is sound in principle. but is inadequate
to afford protection as a practical mat
ter to a publisher against the autocratic
action of the postmaster general.
Hits Labor, He Says.
More amazing still, the proviso sets
up q censorship over any mans private
correspondence by the postmaster gen
eral It would be criminal. for example.
for man to send a letter advocating
resistance to an injunction issued by a
federal judge ordering workers on strike
to 20 back to work Moreover. this sec
tion can be used to prevent the organi-
cation of colored labor. on the grounds
OF inciting racial prejudice. the intended
or probable result Of which appeared to
cause rioting
NO doubt advocacy of. or opposition
to. the cause Of Irish freedom would in
some sections be prohibited.
"Section Z would exclude from this
country even for liberals and investiga- +
tors, large portion of the labor litera !
ture from Europe.
Sections 8. 10 and II contain grave
threat aimed at labor. Section . makes !
unlawful every association which seeks, |
directly or indirectly. to make political I
changes by injury to private property |
1t is unhappily true that even a 1egiti- |
mate strike may result in indirect injury |
to the employers private property right /
in his business. The recent steel ard /
coal strikes were both falsely heralded
as attempts to overthrow our govern
ment.
Blow at Unions, Claim.
IF hostile federal Judge should de-
eide that any particular strike had a
political end in view and that the strik-
ing union is affiliated with the American
Federation Of Labor. the American Fed
Grafton of Labor would be compelled at
once to expel the striking union or itself
become unlawful. And it would at once
become crime punishable up to 20
years Imprisonment and up to $4,000
fine, or both. for any person anywhere in
the nation to rent a hall or furnish Of
flee room to any labor organization affil-
lated with the American Federation Of
Labor, or give or loan il money to send
strike money to starving women and
children.
ion and advocacy. 1t proposes to set up
I'm general, this is bill against opin-
not a government Of law, but of men,
because under its vague and sweeping
terms no mum would know what the law