The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-01-28
GOMPERS ATTACKS
SEDTTION MEASURE
Attorney General Also Objects
to Proposed Legislation

house rules committee by Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation OF Labor; S. P. Weston Of
Seattle, representing the American
Newspaper Publishers association;
Zachariah Chafee of Harvard univer-
sity, and others.
Frequent verbal tits between COM
mittee members and witnesses enllv-
ened the proceedings. AT the end OF
the hearing letter. was read from
Attorney General Palmer. who was
unable to appear, in which he stated
he was ''impelled to say that neither
the bills accords with my views as to
what the legislation ought to be.
AS a substitute the attorney rec
commended a bill which he drafted last
November and which was introduced
several weeks ago-by- Representative
Davey, Democrat, ofrOhio. This meas
ure provides fines not exceeding $10,-
900 and imprisonment for 90 years for
persons convicted Of an attempt to
overthrow Of the government by force:
In opening the attack on anti-sedi-
tion legislation Mr.. Gompers said:xa
The life OF. the people Of the. United
States should not be irksome and sup
pressed. What right has the postmas-
ter general to rry into private mail
and determine what is seditious and
what may. pass?" zs5.
Labor opposes force by machine
guns or even the low and arrow, he
said, but it does not want the right
ao ~, nc
the government destroyed" ~,
The department Of justice knows
Of $4,000 people IN the United States
who are endeayor:ag to overthrow the
government by force" Representative
Pou, Democrat, Of North Carolina in
terjected.. -.
Laws are in existence now which
would punish such offenders" Comp
ers replied. Il am apprehensive Of
this piece of legislation for repression
and suppression bring reaction. This
is not reconstruction. it is depression.
1t will not kill Off desire to revolt, it
will stimulate it,
Before concluding. Mr.. Gompers
was given permission by the commit
te to. reply to attacks on his patriot
ism which he said had been made by
members of congress.
kilograms from 80 newspaper pub
fishers protesting against the Sec
tons of the bill which they said
would limit the freedom of the press
were read into the record by Chair
man Campbell.
James Weldon Johnson, former
consul to Nicaragua, protested against
the bill in behalf Of the National As
sociation for Advancement of Colored
people.
Under sections of the bill the mere
printing of facts and data about lynch
ing might render a publication non
mailable,'' he said.
Zacharia Chafee of Harvard univer-
sity said sufficient laws existed to
stamp out radical activities. The ban
ON the display Of red flags. he said,
would prohibit the display Of the
crimson banners.
There are reported to be many
'"parlor Bolshevists'' among college
professors said Chairman Campbell:
1.4re there any at Harvard?"
Not more than elsewhere" Chafee
replied, but what Of it?''
do these Socialists believe in our
form of government asked Camp
bell.
81 think So" Chafee replied, "but
why couldn't we nationalize our. indus
tries and our form Of government ?"
why have congress then 2" asked
Campbell.
ITO ruin the railroads was the re-
ply.
do you advocate the change of
government by force" asked Repre-
sentative Smell, Republican.
y do for some governments" Cha
fee said. I'm the case of Russia I
would. But not IN this country
Howard A. Davis Of Boston pre-
Liberal club Of that city, which stated
passage OF the measures would be a
calamity forever discreditfng those
who pass it,
t, Objection to the provision which
would permit The postmaster general
publishing Objectionable stories or
! cartoons was made by s. P Weston Of
Seattle, representing the American
Newspaper Publishers Association.
/, Under this bin Republican post
masters might suppress all Demo
cratic papers" Weston said.
Confidence in the impartiality Of the
department Of justice in dealing with
+, radicals and obstructionalists has de-
creased alarmingly William McDon-
apid OF New York told the committee
! There is no confidence either in the
| postoffice department in barring news
papers from the mails" he added
This bill will increase the number OF
! those against whom this bill is aimed
! And they are not Republicans or
| Democrats but Communists. They
will multiply by thousands"