The producers news., 1920-02-13
AuTOCRACY IS
RED" BREEDER
Loss OF Old F reedom and Growth
OF intolerance Causes Most
OF Our Unrest.

<eWs, which appeared in the issue of
January Z, VIM. F. Markoe sets forth
some well known facts in such start
Ing array as to- be we'll worth the
attention of every true American. The
etter is as follows:
Autocracy Mother Of Monstrosities.
"The startling stories carried by the
1aily press just now recording such
items as thousands nabbed in great
est .. S. raid on reds,' Many suspects |
seized,' Prisoners held without |
charge etc., read exactly like those |
We used to hear some 40 years ago |
from Russia, whose penal colonies in |
frigid Siberia were always crowded
with political prisoners. But in those
days we regarded socialism, anarch-
ism and h0lshevism as the legitimate
progeny Of Imperialism, czarism and
despotism. We considered autocracy
as the fruitful mother of such mon
str0sities. How, then, explain the fact
that similar spawn is being hatched in
democratic America? Has the law
that like causes produce like effects
ceased to function accurately? Or has
autocracy secretly stolen into America
under the guise of democracy?
Our Rights 20 Years Ago.
'Now, universal unrest and discon-
tent are unfailing evidences of some
thing radically wrong somewhere, and
great changes have taken place in
America in 40 years. Forty years ago
we had no trusts, no combines, no
'soulless' corporations, no monopolies
Of the necessaries of life, no profiteers,
no multimillionaires, no refrigerator
cars and no cold storage to strangle
the. natural law Of supply and demand,
no big business no stupendous 'in-
terests,' and no espionage laws to try
mems souls. we, the people were
still sovereign We were not COM
PEELED to prove our loyalty to our own
rulers by constant kotowing and
salamming to the powers that be- at
every tack and turn. If our public
servants failed to perform the duties
to which we had elected them, it was
still ours to openly criticize their con-
1ese majestic crime not found on
our statute books at that time. We
exercised the same right from presi-
dent down to village postmaster.
Free Speech Prevents Abuses.
| "Free speech, free press and liberty
of conscience proved much more faith
| full and efficient guardians Of oul
lights than policemen armed witt
| clubs. We still held these truths tt
be self-evident, that all men are Great
| ed equal, that they are endowed by tht
| Creator with certain inalienable right!
that to secure these rights govern
ments were instituted among men, de
irving their just powers from the con
sent of the governed and (dare W.
say it?) that when any form Of gov
ernment becomes destructive of thes
ends, it is the right Of the people t
alter or abolish it, How could all thi
be accomplished without criticism, dis
cussion, argument, controversy an
free expression of, the views Of all pal
ties on all phases of the question
How prevent abuses and 'usurpation!
of power and authority if all thes
rights are muZZled?
Answer the Arguments!
.sYears ago when Chicago anarchist
committed a specific crime in Ha!
market square, they were prompt
convicted and hanged like any othe
criminals, and the lesson proved su
ficient for many years. But, today,
new crime seems to have been inven
ed though never clearly defined. It /.
! called Red and popularity is tn,
, one does not need to be Red but on
to be called Red to forfeit all h
: rights under the Constitution! Ha1
these new apostles been preaching p
litical heresy? If so, why not CORE
them and show them the error of the
! WAYS? Has the pen lost it's powe
Are their arguments unanswerabl'
II If so, what is wrong with our boast'
educational system? Must we nee'
revive the Spanish inquisition
; America to supplement the teaching
: our schools? Good Lord, deliver u
Treat Prof7teers the Same.
/, Heretofore the law has been tn
: everyone should be presumed innoce
until proved guilty In the case OF
}, Red exactly the reverse seems to
I tho rule! But it is poor rule tn
wil, not work both ways If the sal
I, drastic measures were applied
" stamp out crime in high places, to ra
J. monopolistic 'plotters' against the p
t Mo. and imprison or depOrt heartie
.pronteers,' things would not be
!, had. for then all men would again
rednced to that equality before
5, law in which the Creator placed the'
2 .But such spectacular raids serve
2 divert public attention momentar
from the n. C. L., the paramou
= cr;me Of the century, though they a