New Ulm review., 1922-09-27

" .f 90 Il 4 Il
~ M n ssssas. Il
1sy~ Tim Hsvisw. New Uhn, NH,
70 The A1nerlcqas People.
President Harding is considering the
question Of releasing, one by one, the
70 men still held in federal peniten-
tiaries for expressing independent o.
pinions about the war in Europe or
for being members Of. a labor organiza-
tion unpopular with those who profted
most from that war. The first definite
assurance with regard to possible am
nesty was given on July 19 to a dele
cation which carried to the President
a great petition circulated throughout
the country for months blythe General
Defense Committee. 81
When the Chief Executiye spoke Of
the necessity Of reviewing each case
separately, one Of the delegates ex-
pressed the fear that this would take
years. Mr.. Harding Indicated that
this fear was groundless, and II at it
ought not to take more than go days
to review all the cases.
He reiterated the point that he would
never pardon any one who had adyo-
Gated the destruction Of government
through force. This position does
not cause any anxiety whatever to
those instrumental in circulating and
presenting the petition now before Mr..
Harding. The General Defense Com
mittee contends that none. Of the 70
men still held stand convicted Of any
attack upon government, but that they
are held solely for opposition to {: war.
Examination OF the court records will
prove the truth Of this contention.
Meanwhile, here are four diversified
editorial expressions on the logic and
justice of setting all the political
prisoners free.
PRESIDENT SHOWS MORE LIB
ERAL ATTITUDE.
The New York Evening Post Says:
''The Presidents answer to the pc
tition of million names asking a
general amnesty. for all political prison
ers shows more liberal attitude than
he took early this year. Then he and
Daugherty said they had reviewed the
cases in December and contemplated
no further action; now he says that
a new review will be completed within
two months.
But the answer is unsatisfactory in
that it is otherwise negative. The
President states that he will never
pardon any man. guilty of preaching
the destruction Of the government by
force. Certainly, there must be no
action that could be construed as
weakness upon so vital a matter as
this, but we trust that the Presidents
words mean that he will pardon those
who, without advocating such destruc-
tion, were sentenced for violation Of
the espionage act not now in force.
Every few Of those now in prison
can have been guilty Of preaching the
forcible overthrow of government.
Such offenses as obstructing the draft
would not fall in that category, and
it was for obstruction Of the draft and
expression Of. opinion against the war
that the convictions of the /. w. w.
men at Chicagos Wichita, and Sacra-
mento were made.
"All European governments have
released political prisoners of the
type we still hold in durance.
Public sentiment, in favor Of an act
like. President Johnson's amnesty in
1852 has steadily risen fifty Congress
men, including two holders Of the
croix de guerre, recently petitioned
for it. It is to be hoped that Presi-
dent Harding will act soon, and act
generously
NONE WAS A SPY-PROFITEERS
STILL FREE.
William Hard, staff correspondent
for the Cosmopolitan News Ser
vice, writing in the Washington
Times, says:
''This political prisoner business con-
corning which the President yesterday
received a delegation turned out to
be very simple. Eighty-seyen nen in
America are still in jail on charges Of
having violated the wartime espionage
law. But not one of them was an
agent Of the enemy. Not one Of them
was employed nor is charged with
having been employed by the Ger
man government. Not one Of them
bore arms against this government.
Continued on page q.