The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-05-07
QUAKERS PLEAD
FOR TOLERANCE:
Society of Friends Surveys
Worldwide Unrest and Sees
Safety in Sanity.

For more than two hundred and
fifty years members of the religious
Society of Friends have been in the
vanguard in the application of the
principles Of Christ, as they under
stand them, to the world in which they
live. At the price Of great personal
suffering they have firmly adhered to
the teachings of Jesus on non-resis-
tance; they were among the first to
work for the abolition of slavery; to
place women on an equal footing with
men educationally, politically and
otherwise; to try to better the condi-
ton of prisoners and the negroes and
Indians; to fight the exploitation Of
children and the handicapped mentally
and physically.
Service such as this entities their
viewpoint on world problems to earn
est consideration. The Representative
Meeting of the Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting of Friends which speaks for
most of the Quakers in the United
ment ito all who love representative
government in the United States
most of which follows:
'"Thc periis Of the war are behind
us, but the problems of peace are be-
fore us. The world is seething with
unrest, disturbances and conflicts. New
ideas are finding expression, new the
cries of social life are being voiced,
new demands for changed conditions
in government and industry are as
sailing our Traditional institutions.
Extremists, both reactionary and rad
tca,l are proclniming strange creeds
We in America, though distant from
the storm center, IRE finding that we
are not immune from this world rest
lessncss. 1t has knocked at our doors,
it has crossed our threshhold and it
is asking us the searching question !:
How will YOU deal with this confusion
of thought and turbulence of action:
Upon the way in which we answer
that question in our national life,
hangs more than we know Of good or
evil for our country. There is one
way-nnd one way Only-in which we
can hope to achieve sane and peace
full progress. 1t is the way of cduca.
ton, Of increasing understanding of
the causes and cures Of this great I'M
rest. And there is one condition-and
one condition only-upon which we
can hope to follow this path of peace.
able and orderly advance. 1t is the
condition of individual liberty, liberty
to interchange IDEAS and information,
liberty to speak and write, liberty to
discuss. In any other direction lies
stagnation or upheaval.
Because we believe liberty OF ex.
preston to be Of the highest impor.
lance to the welfare Of our nation and
Of the coming generation. We are pro.
foundly disturbed by the widespread
tendency to forget and depart from
this principle. From many quarters
we hear Of speakers prohibited from
delivering addresses, and of meetings
prevented or broken up. In recent
strikes the police and powers of gov.
eminent have been invoked to enforce
the prohibition Of gatherings, instead
Of to protect men in their lawful right
Of pcaccab1e assembly. The menacine
and pcrnicious interference with meet
ings by organized groups Of private
citizens in the name of patriotism is n
sinister blow to our American liber-
ties, which should not go unchal.
lenged. In challenging the right of
five Socialists to take the seats to
which they were duly elected, the leg.
iSlature Of New York has laid violent
hands upon the foundations of repre-
sentative government. Sedition laws
for peace time. such as those already
passed in some states. and those now
pending in Congress, are inroads upon
the domain of American freedom.
pregnant with injustice and danger.
No man can measure the harm that
may ensue if we continue these en-
cronchmrnts upon freedom of expires.
sion. History is replete with lessons
of the folly Of suppression. Many Il
have taught us long ago that YOU may
torture and kill and silence men. hut
you do not silence truth. The ancient
truth spoken when Christianity was
the feared and hated doctrine still
holds today: "if this counsel or this
work he of men it will come to naught,
but If it be Of God We cannot over
throw it," Yet while suppression can.
not silence truth. it can work many
evils. 1t can produce stagnation of
mems minds, and in so doing cut the
tap-root Of democracy.
No easy Indifference will suffice to
maintain freedom among lis. Liberty
asks Of us price. the price of toler-
ance towards those to whom we do
not wish to show tolerance. But it is
only tho unpleasant or hated uttcrance
that really tests the quality Of our
liberty. 1.-THE supreme test of civil
liberty" 4 noted English lord has said.
's cur determination to protect an
minority in time of national
excitement" lr tines of Intolerance
and oppression the founding Of great
commonwealth by William Penn on
the principles Of religious ard civil
lilrrly helped to form our national
Nr,iry Of Individual frrrt!om Our 10y