The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-11-25

luge of wrath and woe will descend
upon them. When the French gov
eminent stopped the practice of an
Algerian tribe in burning out the
eyes of petty thieves a rebellion
broke out-they thought that such
a change would flood the country
with thieves. And in England re-
peal of the law inflicting death on
those who stole forty shillings or
more was resisted by the famous
Lord Peterborough on the grounds
that the goods of the householders
thrifty Europeans introduced the
would not be safe anywhere. Some
umbrella into Siam, a country where
there is much rain, and the natives
were dumb struck and threatened an
uprising. They thought that the
use of an umbrella was interfering
with the mandates of high heaven
and they would not stand for it
Take another illustrations: You
have read of the great Sepoy upris-
chief cause was the introduction of
cartridges, then recently invented.
These old-fashioned cartridges were
all creased and the pious Mussel-
man and Hindo thought it was the
grease Of the holy pig and of the
sacred bull that was being desc
Grated. 1t would bring forth the
wrath of the Most High. 1t was
change. They would not stand for
it. The thought of killing people
with those cartridges was a trifle.
But, oh my! to think of using the
grease of their sacred animals-it
was simply terrible. So they start
ed one of the bloodiest rebellions in
history.
Yes, people fear changes. Yet
it is changes that are responsible
for every forward movement in
human history. If we did not ex-
pertinent we would still be wor-
shipping snakes, and burning
witches. Yes, indeed, we would be
worse than that; we would still be
cannibals. All life is evolution and
change, and while all changes may
not be beneficial, we cannot have
progress without change.
Now, some people are afraid of
changing our social order. In every
an orge, a dragon, hiding under
meath.
We must fight a return to the
old order of things. Our children
must not experience the terrors of
another great war. What sacrifice
is there you would not make for
your children? Do you want to re-
turn to "normalcy?" You know
that the same old causes will pro-
duce the same old effects: that if
we let the present system stand I'M
changed in time it will produce the
same results-bloody war. have
no hesitancy in saying that I don't
want to see another war or for my
descendants to see war bloody as
the last ono
And | want the system changed
that produced that war and that pro-
duces all wars. Let US have peace.
The war opened the flood gates of
passion. People went from their
peaceful pursuits, the avocations of
husbandry, to the stern business of
killing; and we wonder not that
vehement animalistic passions still
surge and sway.
These passions threaten the sub
versions of our most cherished lib
critics and institutions. Actually, in
the passion of war and its aftermath
there are those who would take
away the liberties that it has taken
ages of struggle to establish.
Take the constitutional rights of
free speech and free press. How
did we get these rights? In the
American Revolutionf No George
Washington simply fought for
right that had been denied the Col
onists on the question of taxation
and representation.
The right of free speech goes
back to Runnymede when the barons
forced King John, commonly called
John Lakeland, to sign the Magma
Charta That was in the year 1915,
l believe. The Magma Charta dedi-
Gated to the English people forever
the right of free speech and free
assembly and the right to petition
for redress of grievances.
After Runnymede many bloody
battles were fought over these sac
red rights but the British people
never lost them.
So, after the American Revolution
the founders of the Republic re-dedi-
Gated these sacred rights. They
nailed them fast into the Constitu-
ton; and each and every state in
the Union, so far a 81 know, in their
constitutions, have declared for free
speech and free press.
They are rights that are over 700
years old.
Almost three centuries ago there
was a publisher in England named
Lilburne and he published some
things that displeased the Lord Pro-
tector, Oliver Cromwell. That was
in the days of Cromwell's dictator
ship. He was lord of all he surveyed
and he surveyed the British Empire.
He was a despot He had arbitrarily
adjourned parliament with his bay
onets.
Now Lilburne was indicted and
tried before a jury. Cromwell tried
to intimidate the jury by having
soldiers in the court room, but on
two different occasions those two
juries brought in verdicts of mot
guilty" The jury was not afraid
of Cromwell's bayonets. They be-
lieved in free speech and free press.
And they were not going to allow
Cromwell to deny them. So Lii
burne was turned loose.
What are we othink of the re-
cent happenings in free America ?
In Seattle we saw the closing of the
Union Record a wear or so ago. No
despot in all history ever did a
thing more high-handed. The Record
was purely and strictly within its
rights. 1t was liable in damages
under the law for any libel it
might nnhlish Yet Il was closed