Evening star., 1921-08-07
Only Americans Have Right
Of Free Speech in America

convince the American people that
1t was an expression of the free
and untrammeled thoughts and de-
sires of the Russian people from a
political standpoint, is now exerting
every effort to convince us that we
are losing trade and consequently
profits. 1t is to the everlasting
honor Of both President Wilson and
President Harding that they were
not deceived by this new and in
sidious attack upon our system OF
government. The discussion never
theless goes on. Thoughtless edi-
torials are written. Immature
opinions are expressed that we
would not be giving our consent to
this autocracy of mob leadership.
but would simply be doing business
with the Russian people. 1t is
quite apparent to me that the pur-
pose was not trade. but the destruc-
tion of our system of government
and Of all government that is not
based on the military-supported
will of few ambitious men to de-
termine who is and who is not a
workingman. That determination
thus far has depended upon whether
the man was in favor Of the rapine.
pillage and murder instituted by
Lenin and Trotsky.
We may consent regretfully that
the Russian people must abide by
this horrible system OF government
until they have the power to
change it. But it is no part Of
our duty to have diplomatic or pre-
tended business relations with a
government that avows its inten-
dition to its own. 1 have no right
to criticise Mr.. Lloyd George. He
does not represent me. But l ven-
ture to assert that one of the mis-
takes of his administration was
his trade agreement with the pres
ent ruling classes of Russia. The
little money that the British people
may get out of it will be but
slight compensation for the dis
turbance which will inevitably
arise among British laborers and
for the delay Of the Russian people
in expressing a free opinion as to
the kind of government they
desire.
We consent that it is the right
OF a people to establish and or
dain any form of government
they may select. AS a necessary
corollary to this proposition it is
seif-evident that it is the duty of
a government to maintain it's sys-
tenn. If it is unable or unwilling
to do this it is already in the
throes of dissolution. 1t is not of
much use to speak of law and of
liberty il men are to despise the
one and fail to defend the other.
Among the guarantees Of our sys-
TEN Of government is the right of
free speech and free press. the
right openly to advocate the al
tering. reforming and changing of
our system of government. No one
who knows anything will deny
that the great basic principle Of
individualistic democracy is the
right to the free expression of in
dividual opinion, not categorical
~. but for the purpose of having
the opinion tested by the calm and
dispassionate thought of ones
fellow men.
1t Is necessary now in the inter-
est Of good government and the
perpetuity of our institutions to
determine how far this right of
speaking and printing goes. 1t
may be that this right was a right
that was granted to mankind. 1t
may be that though a man owes
no allegiance to this government.
despises it and refuses to obey
any of its laws. he may, merely be-
cause he is what we call human
being. have a right by his voice
and his pen to instill discomfort in
the minds of the ignorant, the idle
and the thoughtless. For myself,
believer in and a defender of
the right of free speech and free
press as the one sure guaranty of
preserving the liberties of this
people, as the pop valve, SO to
speak. that will prevent the ma
chinery from being destroyed. 1
must insist that this right belongs
to American citizens and to Amer
ican citizens only.
Ins.dious statements about loss
OF trade. about the glorious con-
dition Of the workingman in
Russia and the brutality of the
employers of labor in this coun-
try should come, IL they come at
all. from men who are American
citizens. They should not be per-
mitted as paid expressions OF
opinion, planted and germinated
by the press bureau Of the soviet
governmnet We are going to
have trouble enough. alas, in
settling our labor disputes
through the advice of those who
believe in our institutions. with
out consenting to the darkenine
of the minds of our workers with
the false pretenses of how the ty-
ranny of Russia is the liberty OF
the laboring man.
Copyright by Thomas R. Marshall.)