The Winslow mail., 1923-01-12

| Arizona and the economic develop
ment of the State itself depend upon
the equitable solution of these press
ing economic questions.
Espionage.
European countries have long ex-
perimented with espionage systems.
Every act and almost every thought
of the inhabitants of some countries
were known and recorded in the Of
fices of the secret police. In no
country OF the world was this system
carried to such an extent as in Ger
many under the Kaiser. The cOndi-
tiOn was probably one of the main
causes which brought such complete
disaster to that great country. The
| United States, as far as government
is concerned, has been singularly free
from this policy.
However there has grown up in this
country a spy system in industry
which is not confined to securing le-
| gitimate knowledge connected with
the operation of industry, but has
spread out so that in some commune
| ties every man is under suspicion.
Neighbors and friends suspect one an
other. This system breeds hatred and
suspicion, instead of friendliness and
cooperation This is not healthy
: condition in a democracy.
Some corporations and some evil
! political influences employ so-called
detectives or operatives, in political
campaigns, to besmirch the character
of candidates for public office and, in
some instances, it has been charged,
| to corrupt and debauch the electorate.
These sinister detective agencies have
sometimes resorted to criminal means
in order to influence the result of an
election.
| Students of this condition assert
that as a usual thing men engaged in
the "spy business" are subnormal. |
would therefore recommend that a
law be enacted to as far as possible
suppress the activities of such agen-
cies in Arizona. In my opinion this
can best be accomplished by provid-
| ing for the regulation of private de-
! tectiye agencies, so that only Amer
ican citizens may be so employed, and
that the photograph and description
of each man or women employed as
a private detective be kept on file
with the Secretary of State, with the
Sheriff and County Attorney of each
county in which they operate, and
with the chief of police of each town
in which any such individual is en-
ployed.
Free Speech.
The greatest safety-valve to allie
yiate discomfort, in any country, is
the right to expound ideas, advocate
governmental reform and criticize
public officials Or governmental in
stitutions. The founders of this Re-
public and the authors of the Con-
stitution of the United States provid-
ed for freedom of speech and the
| freedom of the press. The Constitu-
ton of the State of Arizona contains
like provisions.
! At this time, when the nations OF
the world are undergoing rapid chan
ges in government, any attempt to
| tie down this safety-valve is DANCE
rous expedient.
| In this connection I desire to sug-
gest that the widest possible latitude
in public discussion should be per-
mitted. Meetings on street corners,
where it will not interfere with the
traffic, in the parks or on vacant lots,
should not be interfered with as long
| as public peace is maintained.
Oratory cannot injure the govern
ment of our country. Suppression OF
free speech may cause a revolution.
Public authorities should under no
circumstances attempt to prevent the
free exercise by every citizen of his
constitutional rights of expressing his
opinion in public.
In order to curb freedom of speech,
it has become customary in some
communities in Arizona to resort to
the use of the vagrancy laws to comp
pei persons, who insist on expressing
ideas which the authorities of such
communities disapprove of, to either
leave town or be imprisoned as va
grants, and in some cases men who
were taxpayers and who had money
| in the bankks have been arrested and
confined in Jail as vagrants for the
public expression of opinions not ap-
proved of by those authorities. This
situation is intolerable and cannot be
permitted to continue to exist
I therefore recommend that the Le-
gislature enact such laws as will give
the people access to auditoriums in
our public buildings for political and
social gatherings, and to conserve to
the people the right to express their
opinions.
Peace Officers.
The Committee on Education and
Labor of the United States Senate.
after making an investigation of the
activities of peace officers who re-
ceive their pay from private corpora
tions, though acting under the author
ity of the State or some subdivision
thereof. made the following pungent
comment:
THE system of paying deputy
sheriffS out of funds contributed
by private employers is vicious
apd nm American nO1icv and