Norwich bulletin., 1920-01-19
AZ. 1. to Oppose
 Anti-SeditiOn Bills

eEdllon or 1aDor would oppose Wlln whatever power it may possess the enactment of the antl-sedition bills now pending in congress, was made today in statement issued by Sam uel Gompers, president of the fed eration.
 The attack of organized labor, it's ehieftain indicated would be directed impartially against the Sterling bill against the Graham measure based on suggestions of Attorney General Palmer and awaiting action by the house rules for a special rule to ex- pedite consideration.
 1 Referring to the two measures as one bill, President Gompers declared l it's enactment would violate the constitution and rob the whole American people of their most cher ished and basic guarantee of free i government"
 If the American people and in fact majority of the members of the members of congress- Mir. Com l pers asserted, were awake to the dangers concealed in this bill a storm of indignation would sweep the na- tion
 Tt has been, widely advertised that this measure potects free speech fully, but prevents advocacy of forci- ble revolution, bolshevism and anar- ehy. In fact. it would perpetuate an autocratic censorship over the entire American press. It can be used to kill free speech and free assembly. It ,. strikes deadly blow at legitimate organizations of labor or any other progressive movement for the better ment of the masses, which may be opposed by the advocates of privilege and reaction.
 We yield to no man, in public of flee or out, in. our loyalty to the constitution and institutions of this l republic; no self-respecting man has , questioned or dare question that loy- ; alty. We are for evolution, not rev olution; for ballots, not bullets; for majority rule, not class dictator ship or bolshevism, or plutocracy ot the profiteer.
 We oppose this bill because every legitimate purpose for which i: is framed is already covered by exist , ing law. It's illegitimate features which compose two thirds of tho | Edraft, are utterly autocratic, imper- : ialistic- and -Ameircan"
 ! Referring to Attorney Genera < Palmers contention that new laws | are necessary to reach the individua who advocates opposition to the gov f ernment by violence" MT. Gomper: I cited Section of the penal code, anC asked:
 5 If revolution is afoot why has no 7 the department of justice made pros 3 cautions under that section? ?' 7 Section five of the bill, unbeliev- t able as it may seem,' he continued l may be easily construed to mean, i indeed it does not make it, crime f so vague and involved is the termi f nology, to wear in public any butto1 of an organization whose purpose i is to secure an amendment to tn, constitution of the United States ol any existing federal law.
 { Section Six perpetuates the cen
 sorship of the postmaster general 9 over all newspapers and printed s matter. The ,so-called Borah amend 5 ment, providing court review of tht T postmaster generals acton, is soun( in principle but is inadequate tc af ford protection as a practical mattel E to a publisher against the autocrati' l action of the postmaser general 9 More amazing still, the provist I sets up a censorship over any mant 2 private correspondence by the post t master geneal. It would be criminal s example, for a man to send lette I advocating resistance to an injunc . ton issued by a federal judge urgins workers on strike to go back to work 7 Moreover, this section can be uset
 to prevent the organization of col = ored labor on the grounds of incitin: racial prejudice the intended ol l probable result of which appeal is {, of Irish freedom would in some sec cacy of, or opposition to, the caus - cause rioting, etc No doubt advo tions be prohibited.
 "Section would exclude from thi
 country even for libraries and inves
 tigators, a large portion of the labo g literature of Europe.
 Sections 9, 10 and II contain . grave threat aimed at labor Sectio 7, !, 2 makes unlawful every associat.o q which seeks directly or indirectly | 9 make political change by injury {
 private property. It is unhappily tru that even a legitimate strike may re
 suit in indirect injury to the employ
 CTS private property right in hi
 business. The recent steel and cos
 strikes were both falsely heralded a
 attempts to overthrow our govern
 ment.
 If hostile federal judge shoul
 decide that any particular strike 1a
 a political end in view and the striB ing union IS affiliated with t1
 American Federation of Labor, tn
 American Federation of Labor woul
 be compelled at once to expel tt
 striking union or itself become un
 lawful. And it would at once becom
 8 crime punishable by up to twent
 years Imprisonment or up to $20, 0C
 fine or both, for any person anywhei
 in the nation to rent a hall or bus
 ness office to any labor organizatio
 affiliated with the American Fedora
 ton of Labor or to give to loan
 money to send strike relief to starV
 ing women and children.
 'In general, this is a bill agains
 opinion and advocacy. It propose
 to set up not government of la7
 but of men, because under it's vagu
 ald sweeping terms no man woul
 Nilow what the law is until the fed
 eral judges interpret it's meaning.
 9The inevitable result of this bil
 if enacted, would be to spread a reig
 of terror over the United States, fl
 the country with spies and specia
 agents of the department of justice
 fill the land with suspicion, and here
 sy hunting would quickly become
 national industry. If the principle
 of Magma Charta and the Declaration
 of Independence and the Constitu
 tion of the United States are no
 worth fighting to preserve haV