The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-01-21

born Independent does not seem to be .
attracting much attention, but it is /
proof in itself that it is ably edited. |
The leading article on the editoriaE
page this week refers to the present |
burning question of where the line be-
tween liberty and license shall be
drawn. Although the editor strug
giles under the name of Henry Pipp,
he is most evidently well posted on
American history and able to deduce
reason from facts. His leading article
is as follows:
Reds and Our Bill of Rights
Officers of the United States gov
eminent have made raids in a score
of cities. and many hundreds of men
have been taken into custody. Sew
eral hundred have been deported, and
it is the plan of the department of
justice to deport hundreds more.
The men affected claim there is an
interference with that right of free
speech which is guaranteed by the
constitution.
Let US see just what the constitu-
ton says on the matter, how it came
to be there, and what it means.
The constitution was drawn up by
delegates who held meetings and de-
bates for four months. and finally
went to the people with their work.
The fight for and against it's adop-
ton was most bitter one.
So divided was public opinion on it
that it got through by very narrow
margin. New York state did not vote
for it until enough other states had
voted favorably to make it law, and
Rhode Island did not come in until
the other states thu +e21ed 70 cut ner
off in treIc relations.
Ind while the constitution was
adopted, many of the ablest opponents
to it's adoption were elected to Con-
gress for purpose.
That purpose was to see that GER
tain amendments were soon added to
the document.
One of the ablest workers on the
constitution itself was James Madison
who had much to do with drawing up
the document. and is sometimes called
the Father of the Constitution"
After his labors Madison went back
to his home state. Virginia, for the
approval Of the people. He was bit
terly opposed by Patrick Henry and
other strong leaders.
There were many and varied objec-
| tions to the document, but one of the
principal points on which it was as
sailed was the fact that it did not con-
tain what it's opponents termed a
Chill of Rights" for the people.
This issue was raised in practically
every state. and in each case its ad-
vocates urged the people to adopt the
constitution and amend it afterward.
The people showed that they did not
intend taking any chances on losing
the amendments.
In Virginia. Madison got the con-
stitution adopted and wanted to go to
the Senate. but while Henry could not
muster quite enough votes to defeat
the constitution, he was able to de-
feat Madison for the senatorship.
Madison became a candidate for the
House of Representatives and was
elected only on promising that he
would help see to it that the amend
merits became part of the basic law
of the land.
When in Congress, Madison became
speaker of the House.
Seventy-seven amendments were
proposed. Of these the House acted
favorably on II, which were reduced
to II by the Senate and all but two
were adopted by the people; Madison
in later years became president.
The very first of the amendments
in the bill of rights for which many
honest men fought so bitterly and
over which they felt so keenly that
they would have defeated the consti-
tuition, had to do with the freedom of
speech, the freedom of the press, the
freedom of expression at public as
semblages.
The first amendment to the consti-
tuition as adopted reads:
Congress shall make no laws re-
specting an establishment of re1ig-
ion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom OF
speech of the press; Or the right OF
the people peacably to assemble, and
TO peC1Clon the government for the
redress of grievances"
/ That amendment was not added to
the constitution merely to put more
words into the document. but because
the words represented solid convic-
tons on the part of the great mass OF
the people, convictions for which they
were as ready to fight as for their
freedom as nation.
/ Constitutions and laws are vital
only when they represent the life, the
will, the aims of the people, and that
paragraph is just as vital today as il
was $50 years ago.
1t means as much now as then
and it means what it says.
1t does not say that people can get
together and conspire to overthrow
this government.
1t does give our citizens the right
to assemble peaceably and to petition
Congress to right grievances, and il
Congress fails in that it gives then
tho right to go further and in legal
, orderly fashion elect men to the mex
. Congress who will carry out THEN
will, if they are in the majority.
1t does not give men of foreign
! citizenship and of ideals foreign tt
our own the right to incite the masse: