The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-30
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pened, war would commence. It is
wonderful, however, how far we can
agree on words-so long as the words
do not mean anything.
Not Freedom for Others.
1t is the same with the right of
free speech. Everybody believes in it
but nobody has ever seen it. Every
body wants to say what he wants to
say; so everybody believes in free
speech for himself. But not for the
other fellow
The constitution, to be sure, is sup
posed to guarantee this right to all:
but when a man has served a few
years in prison for exercising the
right, it is small comfort to him to re-
fleet that they did not jail him con-
stitutionally.
That is why it is necessary to have
such conference as this. You work
ers have to defend yourselves. The
constitution, lovely as its sentiments
are, was not made for you. You are
workers. You are American labor;
and, in spite of all the pretty words
on our statute books concerning the
right of everybody to the free express
sion of his opinion, anyone who hon
estly esponses the cause of labor in
America is quite likely to land in Jail.
Like to Talk About Liberty.
This is not anything against the
constitution. 1t is not anything
against anybody. 1t is simply a state
ment of fact about life in America;
and if we intend to go on living in
America, it is up to us to look these
facts in the face.
In a few days now, the Fourth of
July orators will be turned loose
upon us. All of them will extol lib
erty; and ninety-nine out of hun
dred will hasten to add that by lib
erty they do not mean license.
That used to give me a good deal
of trouble, in the days when was an
orthodox preacher and still believed
devoutly in words. It does not trouble
me so much these days; for l have
learned that 1t is not the word but
the meaning behind the word which
counts. l know now that the word,
liberty, refers to the thing that l
want to do, and license to the thing
that the other fellow wants to do.
And in capitalist America, we should
have intelligence enuf TO see labor is
most emphatically the other fellow.
The vexatious difficulty which calls
for such a conference as this is ex-
planned by the fact that the world Is
divided into classes-the master class
and the slave class. While this is
the case, the masters will have all
there is Of freedom and the slaves
tyranny only.
When the workers once become
conscious Of their position and power
labor will no longer be denied free
dom. That, to me. is the significance
OF this conference. II is sign that
American labor is waking up; that it
is no longer content to be counted
~"'' "hu that Ahc ltCOBHlLeu tight Oh
Americans to express thor opinions
must include the right to express OPP
inions about the labor problem.
Making Thinking a Crime.
But We have not reached that point
yet. We have laws in many of our
states today which make the presen.
tation Of certain theories crime.
This is tantamount to making think
ing a crime for unless ones mind r.
open to examine all theories upon
any question, nothing which can prop
erly be called thinking can occur
These laws are not all directed
against labor. In the Episcopalian
church and in the state OF Tennessee
they are trying TO abolish the human
brain entirely and put the first chap.
ter Of Genesis in its place. | do not
think they can do It