The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-07-21
APPEAL FOR POLL
50 TICAL PRISONERS

An effective appeal on behalf of po-
aitical prisoners has been made by the
aChildren's Crusade direct to the IN
terests whose influence is most potent
with the Administration.
Turned away from the Whlte
House, where daily efforts have neen
made to see the President, the wives
and children of the government, nos
tapes have gone with their appealing
banners to the convention OF the
limited States Chamber of Commerce
now in session in Washington. >,
Prominently displayed among tne
banners asking freedom for men jail
cd for exercising the right OF tree
sneech in wartime was one with the
legend tNo Profteers Went to Jall."
Through former Secretary OF COM
MERGE and Labor Nagel, a petition TO
theI convention was submitted to the
Resolutions Committee, which read IN
part as follows:
1--WE know that you gentlemen are
gathered here to devise ways ana
means of healing the wounds of war
and to hasten by your coming TO-
oether the return to peace time sanl-
fv and orderly life in the United
States.
awe therefore urgently request
that YOU convey to Congress and the
President your belief that the furth-
or prosecution and imprisonment of
political offenders is contrary to the
democratic ideals and traditions of
freedom to which our country is COM
mitted. :.
eve further urge that you bespeak
from the Attorney General and the
President careful consideration Of the
:propriety, advisability and wisdom OF
granting immediate amnesty to all
prisoners whose religious, political OF
economic beliefs only, as expressed IN
written or spoken words, formed the
basis of their prosecution, trial and
Imprisonment"
While continuing the effort to in:
fuence the President in favor Of g
general amnesty proclamation, the
friends of free speech in Washington
are seekg at the same time to secure
action at the present session of Con
gress on bills making a COMPRESSION
al grant of amnesty to men jailed un
der enactments violative of constitu
tional guarantees.
D11iS 10 LIllS Gnu nave USCu iiie1o
duced by representatives of each Q:
the great political parties. The bill
are identical. They follow in genera
language the text of the final am
nesty proclamation of the Civil wa
period. Their sponsors are Senate
Ladd, republican, North Dakota; Rep
Griffin, Democrat, New York and Rep
London, Socialist, New York. Chair
man Volstead of the House Judiciar.
Committee has given an opinion tina
it is entirely within the power o
Congress to grant amnesty to polite
al offenders. -.----'~------ - -
: In a speech in support of the am
nesty bill, Rep. London called upo
the politicians now Justify proclaimin
their love of international peace
examine the cases "of those men an
women to whom the love Of peac
was a life passion, to whom it was
religion, to whom it was the mean
ing of their existence-the cases @
men and women who believed that
was their mission to preach peace o
earth when men were killing each 9th
err"
London laid the cases before tn
House and in the course of his speec
quoted a letter written by Thoma
Jefferson to Mrs. John Adams, ez
planning why he had pardoned ever
man imprisoned under the first An
erican sedition act.
81 discharged every person I'M
der punishment or prosecution