Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-09
WHAT is THE CONSTITUTION
AMONG GREEN POLITICIANS?
A Halt Is Being Called at Last on Those
Who, clumsily Trying to Serve Lib
erty, Would Destroy It

d
an unconcerned and perfectly tranquil
eagle and shouted for wrecking crews,
machine guns and the fire department.
The Sherman sedition bill, an out
ragcous and un-American document, has
been having hard shedding in Congress.
Nobody would accuse Senator Lodge of
sympathy with the doctrinaires of radi-
calism who presumably are the objects of
attack in this instance, Yet it is Mr..
Lodge who has most sharply and intelli-
gently criticized an instrument of me.
dievalism actually devised to give Post
master General Burleson right to decide
what Americans may and may not read in
their books and newspapers and power
to ruin any publisher who doesn't agree
with him in matters of politics.
The Bar Association of New York has
appealed to the American people to guard
the fundamentals of constitutional lib
erty against onslaughts that have become
an everyday matter with ignorant poll
ticians in Office who happen to have per-
verted notions of public service. Gov
ernor Coolidge, of Massachusetts. has
been speaking in similar spirit. There
is a definitely perceptibe tide of senti-
ment turning against the men everywhere
who, in alterations reminiscent of the
! days Of the witchburners, have been
| openly denying TIE common right of free
! speech, free press and free assemblage
| guaranteed to all Americans under the
! constitution.
| Mr.. Burleson said with proud gesture
! the other day that he had sole right to
| decide what may and may not go through
| the mails. He spoke truth. There can
be no appeal from the ultimatums of
this akhoond of the postal system. A
| little while ago he might have made his
boast in all safety. But OH this oc-
| casion the one American newspaper that
| has supported the administration and all
its works through thick and thin rose
| and pelted the surly egotist with every
| brick in its vocabulary.
| That was hopeful sign. So is the
! plight of Attorney General Palmer hope
| full Mr.. Palmer raked the country and,
| in population which the census officials
say is more than 10000 600, he found
about fifty persons who might be called
actually dangerous. Then the attorney
general went wailing to Washington for
new legislation-for harsher legislation
than any he had previously been able TO
| conceive-to protect the country
In the name of Americanlsm Mr.. Pal
| mer would destroy the principles of gov
ernment that actually have made the
! nation what it is. He was received coolly
by Congress which year ago probably
would have shared his panic
| All that is needed to make Mr.. Burle-
son the one true autocrat in the world
is an act of Congress TO provide him
| with a crown and a scepter and q flock
of eXeCutioners. The postmaster general
| already has power which makes him
permanent censor of American opinion
| He does not even have to explain his
desires and decisions. Yet he is not
satisfied With word, under the terms
of the new sedition bill, he could ruin
| the publisher or any editor whose opin-
ions he considered dangerous or even Of
| fensive
Mr.. Borah and Mr.. Lodge and others
in the Senate have opposed the bill. They
have demanded change in the mail die
tatorship which will give to every ac-
cused editor and publisher at least the
right to a hearing-a right which Mr..
! BurlesOn does not wish to grant and
which he has never granted.
Needed reforms in the administration
of the postal system may thus come
from the effort to strengthen the tyr
amy of the Burleson rule.
In a general way, however, rational
objection need not be directed exclusively
at the newest of hysterical sedition bills.
or at Mr.. Palmer or any of the others
who have fouted ancient rules made for
reason and justice and the permanency
! of our government. 1t will be directed
at the big and little officials everywhere
who, because they seem ignorant of
American purposes and American his
tory, have seen fit to disregard laws and
principles that have guided this nation
in emergencies more serious than any,
thing we have known in recent wears.
The institutions of government in the
United States arc not menaced. Thev
cannot be seriously menaced. If there
is any danger to America it must come
from the men in authority who do not
themselves know the meaning of Ameri-
canism,
Unless Washington and jefferson and
all the patriots of their day were less
wise and less devoted than Mr.. Bureson
and Mr.. Palmer, free press and free
speech are indispensable safeguards of
liberty and better and surer protec.
tion to free government than armies OF
navies.
Upon that assumption the whole sys,
tenn of our government rests. Because
of this privilege America has growr
strong and because of it the faith OF
Americans in themselves and in theil
system of government is immeasurablc
and always will be unshakable. Yet al
Harrisburg and at Washington ther,
have been efforts to put gag upon mer
and upon newspapers. Legislators anc