The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-02-20
.SED|T|ON BILL A
BLOW TO LIBERTY
(By Samuel Gompers.O

y
Dor will oppose with whatever
power it may possess the pending
lSterling-Graham Peace Time Sedi-
ton Bill. The proposed bill, if
enacted would violate the Consti
tuition and rob the whole American
people of their most cherished and
basic guarantees of free govern
mcnt,
Alfred Bettman, of Cincinnati,
Special Assistant Attorney General
of the United States, who had
Icharge of the sedition cases during
the war, declares this bill is con
trary to the fundamental princi-
pies of American and Anglo-SaXon
institutions, and if enacted, will
place upon the American statute
books Prussisn and Czaristic
russian institution.
If the American people, and in
fact a majority of the members of
Congress, were awake to the dan
ers concealed in this bill, a storm
of indignation would sweep the ma
ton. 1t has been widely adver
tised that this measure protects
free speech fully, but prevents adj
vocacy of forcible revolution, boil
shevism and anarchy. In fact, it
would perpetuate an autocratic
censorship over the entire Amer
lean 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
terment OF the masses which may
be opposed TO the advocates of
privilege and reaction.
We yield to no man, in public Of
flee or ont, in our loyalty to the
| Constitution and institutions of
this Republic; no self-respecting
man has questioned or dare ques-
tion that loyalty We are for evo-
luton, not revolution; for ballots,
not bullets: for a majority rule,
| not class dictatorship of bolshev-
ism, plutocracy or of the profiteer
We oppose this bill because every
| legitimate purpose for which it
was framed is already covered by
existing law. Its illegitimate fea-
lures, which compose two-thirds of
the draft. are utterly autocratic,
imperialistic and American.
The supreme danger of this bill
! lies in its vagueness and in the
manner in which it may be admin
istered; and to bring home these
perils to liberty, l submit the fol-
lowing bill of particulars, which
illustrates but in small part what
may actually happen.
Passing over Sections l to 4 be-
cause they are covered by the ex-
listing Penal Code, let us refer to
Attorney General Palmer's conten-
tion that new laws are necessary
to reach the individual who adyo-
Gates opposition to the Government
by violence then what is the mean
ing of Section of the Penal Code,
which reads:
Whoever incites. sets on foot,
assists, or engages in any revolu-
ton or insurrection against the
authority of the United States. or
the laws thereof, or gives aid or
comfort thereto, shall be imprison-
Cd not more than 10 years, or fined
not more than $4,000, or both"
If revolution is afoot why has
not the Department of Justice made
prosecutions under that section?
Section ) of the bill, unbeliev-
able as it may seem, may be easily
construed TO mean, if indeed it does
not make it. crime, so vague and
involved is the Technology. 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 perpemates the cen
sorship of the Postmaster-Gen
over all newspapers and printed
! matter. The so-called Borah Amend
t ment, providing a court review OF
the Postmaster GENERALS action. is
sound in principle, but is made
quate to afford protection as a
practical matter to publisher
against the autocratic action of the
Postmaster-G General. More amazing