The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-02
HARDING TO HEAR PLEAS :lA FOR DEBS', OTHERS RELEASE
President Agrees to Receive
 Political Amnesty Com mittee April B.
(Continued from Page One.)

cussed by Debs and fully approved, according to MT Branstetter.
 Upon one matter alone, that of picketing the White House immell- ately, was there some question and upon Debs' suggestion, is was de- cided to hold the matter of picket ing in abeyance.
 The motto adopted for the am nesty drive is Lets get them all out" and the determination to work for the release of all political pris- oers was emphasized by an incident that Mr. Branstetter learned of in Caldwell, old time Socialist party worker, and espionage prisoner, was twice informed that the prison par ole board was willing to recommend him for a parole. Caldwell, how ever. refused to permit them tD rec ommend him for parole.
 While Gene is in," he said, "l will not voluntarily go out"
 MT. Branstetter said that MT Debs looks well, and is in excellent health and good spirits.
 "'Gene was never in the hole, said the Socialist executive, nor did he suffer any personal mistreat ment"
 Speaking of the matter of the campaign, Secretary Branstetter said that the other plans except White House picketing are being vigorously pushed, and they will not be changed on account of the crit icism that they are intended to in timidate the President or excite an tagonism on behalf of otherwise sympathetic persons.
 Constitution Quoted
 "It must not be forgotten" BraDs letter continued, "that the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for re dress of their grievances is a part of the Constitution, and most ss credly cherished The attempts on the part of our opponents and some of our misguided friends to construe the peaceable exercise of this fun damental right as something revo lutionary and lawless is not compli mentary to the administration and it shows lack of confidence that the administration intends to do the right and proper thing in the mat ter of political prisoners f
 Since when has petition to i lawless act? Since when is it dis respectful or discourteous for Amer | ican citizens to come to the seat ol their government with personal re quests upon their congressman and senators for redress of grievances To say that the proposed demon stration with the picketing feature eliminated will excite antagonisn in administration circles and cause them to hesitate or refuse to do ar act of justice to which they arc committed is to place them in ex actly the same category as the dis graced, despised and discreditet Wilson administration, whose policy was that in order to get any con sideration in any matter citizen! were to debase themselves before the President We do not belivt that this spirit animates the in coming administration"
 View of Administration
 We expect the new administra tion to be reactionary in many pa ticulars," said Branstetter, speaking for himself, his committee and fol Debs, "we expect that it will op pose many just demands of the or ganized workers, and the wishes O the people generally, but we do no believe that they are going to den, the right of petition or to consider it. as did the Wilson entourage, in sulting and presumtuous, on thu party of any group of citizens tt make their wishes known.
 Amnesty committees are 5eirt organized in every part of the coun try, and it is certain that the dele gations that will come to Washing ton will number many thousands l from scores of cities"