The Washington herald., 1922-05-14

~
under way to bring pressure upon President
Harding and Attorney General Daugherty for
blanket pardons. Distinguished leaders Of public
thought have joined their voices with those of
irresponsible rainbow chasers in demand that
no be imprisoned in this land of liberty be-
cause Of words spoken that he might be true to his
own conscience. Three bills, each designed to OBJ
tain the release Of men in jail for violation Of
the espionage act. before the House of
Representatives.
1t is not difficult for agitators to compare the
confinement Of these people with the martyrdom
suffered in ages past by men whose thoughts and
hbors are among the cherished inheritances Of hu-
mainly. 1t is natural perhaps to recall the cham
bers OF the Spanish nquisition why're brave and
brilliant leaders, unwilling to submit to the iron
discipline OF their day, suffered torture. History
proves. almost without exception, that a nation
loses by placing the genius of its people in shackes
Snch condition, say many, leads only to the con-
cluson that heads of the state realize the weak
OF their position and fear anyone with
sufficient intelligence to discover the falsehoods
upon which their power rests and sufficient honesty
to publish their findings for. guidance of the masses
Yet few will maintain that such comparisons
are just to the United States under either the
present or the past administration. II there were
marked restriction of public thought in this coun-
Our political prisoners aSe in Jail not because
OF their opinions of economic, governmental or
religious systems. but because they expressed those
opinions at time when the act hndereds the
duct of the great
Any man today is entitled to believe that Lenn
and Trotsky have set up ideal form of govern
ment in Russia. No will interfere with him
if he breaches in advocacy of such changes in the
Constitution of the United States as needed to
establish similar government in Washington. In
fact, he is entitled to protection from violence
while he urges such changes. If he fits out an
armed expedition to overthrow the present govern
ment, it is another matter. He then violates
specific criminal statutes designed to protect the
peace Of the community.
Any American today is entitled to believe that
Sll churches are things of the. devil. He will
be thrown behind bars for expressing his opinion
that anyone who believes in an omnpotent God is
a-menace to humanity IT, however, he leads an
angry mob into Wednesday evening prayer meet
ing and tars and feathers the president of the
Epworth League he exceeds his prerogative of
freedom of opinion He breaks definite laws designed
to protect gentlemen and ladies' from being tarred
and feathered.
In the same way any American is entitled to
believe that all is wrong. He may interpret
Scriptures to the effect that a people break Divine
vance of an invading army Nobody will interfere
with him when he stands in the middle of Penn
sylvania avenue and addresses the populace with
. such nonsense. provided he first obtains a police
permit, to hold public meeting in the street But
. II, IN time OF war, he places definite obstacles in
the way OF recruiting military force he violates.
specific laws designed for the protection of the
nation. He is in the class as any other law
breaker-as the bootlegger the second-story worker
or the man who stakes his weekly pay on race
horses.
In this latter class belong Americas political
prisoners. They are not in Jail because they be-
heved war was wrong They may have been right
Future generations may look upon both the Ger
mans and the allies as silly asses who fought over
purely inconsequential issues. On the other hand
these men are in jail because they selected such
definite times and places for the expression of
their opinions that it constituted hndrance to en-
hstment IN absolute violation of statutes over the
meaning of which there could be no question
Any general amnesty will be in the nature of
mercy They cannot expect pardon the grounds
OF justice alone. Other nations involved in the
war; IT is true have pardoned their political prisoners
1t must be remembered, however, that men were
sent to jail and often to death in France, Eng
land and Germany for acts much less aggravated
than those for which any Americans were pun
ished- Not few of agitstors, had they COM
mtted the same crimes in Europe would not be
IN cells today They would be dead and the scaoids
trom which they last looked upon sunlight already
would be rotting away
Even If American, political prisoners have not
changed their opinion and have no repentance
however they have to appeal for mercy
Some were scatter-brained daredevis Others were
brave men who did the acts for which they are
IN jail with thorough appreciation of the inevfabl
consequences In the light of abstract justice
man who has opposed the war because his con-
science would not allow him to do otherwise, is
,enutied to more consideration certainly, than the