The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-11-18

mission of Golfers, in which the
article first appeared.) ~;
LET the people know the truth -
said Abraham Lincoln. land the
y country is SAFE" This country is not
safe today. For we are threatened
with denial of the means of dis
covering the truth. We had sup
posed that the Constitution guaran-
teed to us the right not only to think
our thoughts. but to express them.
This right of free speech Is the very
basis of social and political prog
ress. Yet today this basic right stands
in jeopardy. This has been clearly
shown by such recent acts as those
Of Attorney General Daugherty at
Chicago. and the arrest of William
Allen White.
These are danger signals of one
Of the nations gravest perils. The
time has come for every lover of
democratic ideals to take the Often
sive.
Is free speech a right, or is it not?
Is it a right with reservations? If so,
what are they? And how shall they
be enforced? Who is to determin
the limits upon liberty of speech ?
I here submit lawyers brief in
behalf Of free speech. Let those who
disagree answer it if they can.
1T Is the Wise Method.
If you deny to anyone else the
right to say what you think is wrong.
it will not be long before you will
lose the right to say what you think
is right. Defence of the freedom OF
others is self-defense. Voltaire stated
this fact as a genius can: II wholly
disagree with what you say and will
contend to the death for your right
to say it,
1T Is the Safe Method.
When men are emotionally stirred
over real or supposed wrongs, they
need the safety valve which speech
gives them. 1t may be dangerous to
permit certain opinions to be ex-
pressed: 1t is more dangerous not
to permit them to be expressed. The
attempt to prevent an explosion IN
the boiler by sitting on the safety
valve is obviously futile and foolish.
It Invites disaster. Suppression IS
the seed of revolution. mo abuse
of a free press" said George Will
liam Curtis. lean be so great as the
evil Of it's suppression"
Sit Is the Preventive Method.
All that most mental diseases, like
physical ones, need for their cure Is
exposure to the fresh air and SUM-
shine. The weakness of wrong opln-
IONS stands exposed when submitted
to the test Of open discussion. They
will thus be made harmless. But the
merit of right opinions IS revealed
in the same way. TO reject the bad
and accept the good, from whatever
source they come, is our aim. A
democratic policy recognizes the
peoples right to learn by making
mistakes. Free speech may cause
temporary disturbances, as it did on
a notable occasion once in the open
forum at Nazareth. But Truth Is
more desirable even than Peace.
1T Is the Conservative Method.
A community can operate only on
the basis of the lowest common de-
nominator. 1t can undertake only
those activities which public opinion
will support. Since, therefore, each
proposed measure must go through
the process of securing public op1n-
ion for it's support, discussion Is a
conservative safeguard against hasty
action. This is what gives merit TO
freeman's inalienable right to trial
hoc
action through enforced open dis
cussion of his case by his fellow
citizens Those who value this right
at its full worth are willing to agree
with the drastic statement of Wen
dell Phillips, that THE community
which does not protect its worst and
most hated member in the free ut
terance of his opinions, no matter
how hateful, is only gang of
slaves
Sit Is tho Democratic Method.
1t stimulates respect for opinions
other than our own. "A decent re-
spect for the opinions of mankind
is a necessary safeguard against the
illusion that we are infallible-the
danger against which Oliver Crom-
we'll warned the members Of parlia-
ment: II beseech you, gentlemen, by
the mercies of Christ, to remember
that it is possible for you to be mis-
taken"
cit Is the Logical Method.
The task of correcting wrong
opinion is spiritual process and
requires a spiritual weapon. That is
what discussion is. An idea is a
thing which cannot be organized.
Therefore the limits for it's discus
sion cannot be determined. You
cannot exterminate an idea with q
club; you only scatter it. It must
be met on its own ground. The only
antidote to a wrong opinion is a
right opinion. Hence" Jefferson's
great dictum, Error of opinion may
be tolerated, if reason is free to
combat it,
Tt Is the Workable Method.
There are only two ways to gov
ern nation; by the sword, or by
public opinion-by force, or by rea-
son, then freedom of speech must
be complete, not partial. The func-
ton of law is to deal with overt acts,
not with opinions. If mans speech
results in an actual deed intended
to hurt the community, then and
then only is it a guilty act subject