The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-26
FINE FOR THREADING
ON FREE SPEECH
Sen. Borah introduced Bill in Congress
to Preserve Rights Under
Constitution.

Washington, d. c., Feb. &c. Senator
Borah, representative of Idaho to-day
introduced bill proposing fines, i'm
prisonment and removal from Office of
any federal official fround guilty of
unlawfully trespassing on the rights
of free speech, free press and assem-
blage granted by the constitution.
In drafting the bill, it is said Sena-
! tor Borah had the advice and assist
| ance of lawyers, some of them former
| " connected with the department OF
| Justice. The measure will be support
ed, il was announced, by the National
Popular government league, the organ-
/ ization which recently attacked Attor
ney General Palmer for department Of
Justice raids last year. State and mu-
nicipal officers as we'll as federal Off
GERS would come within its terms.
"The civil rights of the private citi-
zen have of late often been challenged
and manc times wholly denied, This
condition has been on the increase for
the last quarter of a century. More
and more there has been a disregard
of the great guarantees of the federal
constitution so far as the rights of the
private citizen are concerned The facts
| in support OF this Judgment are al
| hand and overwhelming. Men in au-
/ thority. officers and their agents, have
made arrests without warrant, broken
into private dwellings without author
! ity, and practiced brutality toward
citizens guilty Of no ofTense. The pri-
vate citizen under such conditions is
practically without recourse. This
practice seems TO be greatly on the
increase. Lawlessness in public office
and in public places fattens by what
it feeds upon.
Il do not think we get anywhere,
I however, bv merely criticizing particu-
lar individuals or by denouncing for
day a particular public officer In
fact. when such practices have become
ingrained in our system, no particular
officer is individually responsible The
l situation deserves general considera-
ton and permanent treatment | have
/ therefore introduced this bill. which
is designed to protect the private cit
/ izen in his constitutional rights. par
ticularly against the arbitrary and
/ lawless acts at public officers II
seems N me ihAt u iAlTlN gels At
the situation and would help agree
ably 10 remedy this growing evil In
any event il viii serve a. a measure
around which possibly a better meas
ure NAV be constructed.
There j. no one whose duty il j.
80 b. more scrupulous u the obliga-
tions ~ the constitution - more re-
rardful Of the constitutional rights II
I the ritizen than the officer entrusted
I for q brief season with great author
itv Iawiessnrss among thosH vAnse
duty il j. 70 enforce and uphold the
/ law breeds lawles~nes-. aud not only
that. !; begets distust e AMI d'saf-
I lection for the government itself
among the people generally 8 high
snd siuoere regard for law. profound
. re.pect for oar constitution must heein
-with those uho are entrusted with TIE
+ execution e the law 0hedienee o.
the law s. The primal pillar upar whisa
Z free Institutions nest When this srir
Z g - olefirnfe D. broken down. lau g.
SELF bccomes in . sense muekerF-