Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-11-16
LABOR PRESS MUST
PROTECT FREEDOM
OF UTTERANCE
Ry MATTHEW woLL
President, International iahef Press
u America.

u America.
ore of tie objects ef the Revela.
sionAfs War Was IL nd the American
people q the Narrow English Law of
liberty 81 speech and # the press.
One Of the objects Of the labor press
should b. u protect the Amfiean con.
option Of he freedom ef speech and
ef tie press.
The first amendment 20 the Con.
situiloa ef the United States. the
nrs ef Americas nll af Rights, and
al Of The state Constitutions provide
in wards Il substance that no law
shall he passed ahridging freedom of
speech OF Of the press. We may aeN
ask how lar do these constitutional
guarantees leave the individual and
the press nfeltereds
In the United States conceptions
ef the rights OF the government 10
he free from verbal attacks have been
from the outset and stu are nns
settled.
During the great war. which threat
ened 30 ehgulf the worlds eiviliaa.
tion, We had enemies al home. as
We'll a. abroad. To cope with this
enemy the Espionage" law was
enacted by Congress, n june, 1917.
Having proved Insufficient Congress
passed the Sedltlons LABEL Amend
ment 70 the Espionage Law. which
went way beyond the ill.s,arred sedi.
ton act Of lsaS.
The legislatures Of several states
supplemented this legislation BY en-
acting laws directed at disloyal n,.
tefauees and activities. However. the
acts Of Congress were specifically war
measures and expired with the ending
Of the war Most of the state laws
were different In character, in that
they remained operative at all times
IN this lies their great and permanent
danger,
Thees state laws are popularity
known as acts directed against syn
dicalism and sabotage, They are In.
tended 20 make illegal the use of
force or violence against either per
| son or property 90 affect change
in the industrial or political organika-
| ton. They also bring under con-
demnation the act OF any person who
| by word Of mouth OF writing advn-
Gates, aifirmatively suggests, or
teaches The duty, necessity. pronrlsiy
or eNpedieney of doing any violent
or unlawful net as a means 10 In
dustrial or political change, or even
| 10 attend an aAsemhlage which
teaches or suggests such doctrines.
All who think profoundly about our
| American institutions must agree that
all such legislation directed against
syndieAlism and sabotage are danger.
Gus TO the very institutions that We
| aeek To preserve. Such laws, In times
Of peace, AZ we'll as In times uf stress,
| readily lend themselves 10 becoming
an instrument OF intolerance toward
j that freedom Of expression VI opin.
/ Ion which Is the final source OF
Righteousness and Of progressive gov.
ernmant in Democracy.
| While the American Labor Move.
| meni disapproves ayndiealism and
| sabotage IL likewise disapproves such
| restrictive legislation upon freedom
Of speech, the press and the assem-.
blage. and rightly 50. Experiences
during the past year indicate how
| danRerols this form of legislation Is
| In rs application and how It's ntin.
eiplea are applied 10 the labor and
| trade union press. ns well na 10 any
other form OF publication. This char.
ncter Of legislation has been applied
10 such an extent that for an editor
or publisher Of newspaper TO rriti-
| elise Judge has led TO conviction and
punishment by imprisonment, by fine
aud by contempt Of court proceed
| inga.
: Surely II should not be forgotten
that the faf-Fighled purpose Of the
| founders of our government was 10
preserve 10 the individual the largest
possible measure Of freedom Of both
utteranee and action aud II III be.
comes the people Of our day 20 stand
idly by when these great inherited
institutions are attacked, even though
al times We NAV be in Disagreement,
with those against whom these un
constitutional limitations are enforced. !.
| II Il our conviction that freedom OF
uttefance will serve TO act as safety
valve and prevent social explosion
rather than bring into being anarchy
and "radieallsm."
After all. sound Judgment, based
upon due appreciation of the ines
/ fimnble value Of a free press and free
speech Ia free country, and full
/ underst standing of social psychology,
can yield the greatest measure OF
| GOOD 10 all