The Washington times., 1920-09-18
| ODAY
,Continusd from First Psxs.) }

Continued from First Psxe.)
doned automobile, and with face
and hands bleeding spent an hour
driving wounded men 10 the hos
pital, turning over the automobile
to the police when his work was
done
Such a boy treasures you, II you
are wondering what the country
is coming TO.
Pleasing, also, after the explo-
sion, was the sight Of Washington's
huge statue standing before the
Sub Treasury building without q
scratch, nine hundred millions In
gold stored away in the back.
In ancient days the safety Of
the statue would have been called
a miracle. The good would have
said that God had saved the image.
Better than q miracle, for mod
ern purposes, is the bronze Wash
ington, untouched. AS he went
through that explosion, SO the
Government that he established
can pass safely through a thou
sand disturbances infinitely worse
than any mere explosion.
There is in this nation, as there
was in Washington's character.
power to resist all enemies and
carry to success the plan made in
l776, which was the permanent
establishment of real democracy.
The duty of the nation is to con-
tinue working at that task, undis-
turbed by crime in the gutter or
elsewhere, contempt for law at the
top or at the bottom of the social
scale.
There is no need for panic. Only
those whose consciences accuse
them will take too seriously q
story that was old when Ravaillac
killed Henry Fourth.
European countries are familiar
with outbreaks of political crime
that to us are new. England deals
with the problem sanely, in her
own territory, permitting practi-
cally unlimited freedom of speech
in time Of peace, interfering with
most violent ranting only to pre-
vent obstruction of traffic.
A wild-eyed gentleman was de-
nouncing Queen Victoria, saying
she should be driven from the
throne, and was blocking a path
in Hyde Park. A policeman most
politely said: "Move over there,
onto the grass. please. You can
talk about the Queen over there
Just as we'll" He treated the
mans talk as childishness, and it
was childishness as long as Eng
lish law permitted unbalanced
thought to spend itself in talk.
This country might learn some
thing from the English method.
Perhaps too much eagerness to
regulate speech and opinion has to
do with substitution of dangerous
explosives for harmless, rampage
GUS talking. Many a violent man
would be content with talking it
out, if that were allowed.
Whatever our lawmakers decide
to do about free speech or no free
speech, there should be no reck-
less accusations against any
specific organization. and none
especially against labor. as such.
organized or unorganized. Only
cold, even justice, merciless upon
conviction, but always fair, can
deal with sporadic murderous law
leSsness.
The New York Times blames
politicians, because they denounce
abuses, and newspapers that, un-
like the Times, are not Wall Street
trade papers.
Mad passions are ready to be
stirred by the wild and whirling
words of editors and politicians,
says the Times.
Possibly, but they are more
easily stirred by repression and
lack of outlet. There were no
wild, whirling editors or poll
ticians shouting in Russia before
the gigantic political explosion
over there. Wild. whirling expires
sons were not allowed. But was a
first-class explosion, and is still
progressing.
Make careful search for the
criminals. short work of them
when caught and convicted. Don
initiate the criminal in his hatreds
and false charges, based on i'm
| perfect UNDERSTANDING.