Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-14
HIRAM JOHNSON
WANTS PEOPLE To
PASS ON LEAGUE
Senator Warns Against Too
Much Suppression of Public
Opinion as Worse Than
RadiCaliSm.
fsr uoamsa Jouss.- sprcrAt LEASED wtsrl

New York, Jan. Ex-senator Hiram
johnson OF California, declared in an
address in Brooklyn tonight he would
accept the challenge of President vii
son to take the ratification of the
peace treaty to the people.
Il don't care whether republican
leaders accept this guage of battle
or not" he said. "For one, l ac-
cept the issue, and / shall go to the
people. subject which deals so ins
timately with the treasure and blood
of the average American is a subject
upon which he has the right to ulti-
mate decision. Politicians upon one
side or the other may seek to avoid
this issue, but | say with all solemniy,
if the politicians unite with absolute
unanimity in hiding this subject and
endeayoring to prevent its discussion
the American people will wrest it from
the politicians and themselves decide
it." .a.
.... For Free Speech . ..
After reiterating his advocacy of
the treaty with reservations, Senator
johnson warned against suppression
of free speech and right of assem-
blage Every infringement of the law
should be drastically punished, he
said, and no endeavor to overturn the
government by force or violence could
be tolerated "but the difficulty in some
quarters appears TO be certain
vagueness as to what constitutes law
and order ....s
There is real danger" he asserted,
"that in our Just anger against those
who advocate or justify crimes of vio-
lence we may be led by reactionary
wearing the livery of patriotism or by
our own zeal, into extravaganza OF
suppression which will imperil the
very foundation of the republic, the
fundamental American principles OF
free speech and free assemblage.
Must Avoid Extremes.
There are those today" he contin-
ued, who flashing themselves into fury
against men holding opinions contrary
TO theirs would suppress free legiti-
mate expression; and on the other
hand there are those who preach sedi-
ton and who would destroy all human
initiative and confiscate the fruits OF
all human endeavor Your task and
mine indeed that of the republican
party is to prevent the contamination
of either wicked design and safety to
proceed on our way between reaction
on the one hand and ultra -radicalism
on the other. r
"The preacher of violence and the
public advocate of the bomb and the
torch must be drastically dealt with
under the law and by the laws pro-
cedure punished for its violation. But
the right of any citizen within the law
TO express his views and beliefs is as
sacred as the right of property itself
and must be as jealousy guarded. The
reaction which would prevent legiti-
mate free speech, which would make
government the mentor of mems hon
est opinions, spells ir itself revolt
ton"
Lawful Means Only.
"In a free country" the senator
continued, men and women may agi-
tate for such political reforms and
changes as they see fit but they must
confne their agitation tc lawful means
and stay within the constitution.
When however, men within the con-
stitution, agitate for social or political
change, elect representatives to a
legislative body, all Americans, all
though they may be as far apart as the
poles from the political ideas express
ed, must demand that the constitution
be obeyed and respected and the rep
resentatives thus elected by the min
ority, acting within the law and the
constitution, must be protected. If you
can exclude socialists IN New York to-
day, tomorrow you may exclude repub-
licans.