Evening star., 1926-11-09

blind giant, who may destroy the very
things which he ought most to value
and who may end by destroying him.
self. The first act of a tyranny is
to suppress or Shackle the press. Let
us never forget that the liberty Of
unlicensed printing is the foundation
Of all our liberties"
At dinner in London given last
month in connection with the i'm
perial conference of all the prime
ministers of the empire by the press
associations, Prime Minister Bruce of
Australia said that although the i'm
perial conference was a great thing
it could do nothing unless it had pub.
Tic opinion behind it, and 1t was the
press which could educate public opin-
ION"
Freedom of the press was first at
lacked in Italy. In fact. when the
printing press began to circulate in
formation among the people every
where 1t was recognized that it was
dangerous to an absolute government
ano immunity was not conceded.
restriction came into effect in 1515
when tho Council of the Iateran of
the Roman Catholic Church. decreed
that no publication should be issued
where the church held Jurisdiction.
without sanction from the church
1nquisitor or the bishop.
Gradually press censorship grew up
In Europe. until today, in spite Of for
mer' constitutional safeguards in most
nations. the true freedom Of the press
Is a myth, yet only in countries now
recognising dictators is all semba nee
OF freedom abolished.
1t was 10 years after the adoptjon
or the American Constitution before
the Fox libel act in England provided
that In all cases involving libel or free
dom or the press the jury should be
Judge both OF facts and law Yet even
England to this day provides that to
publish anything against the estab-
iished form Of government or the con.
st1tution (unwritten constitution is an
indictable offense, although 1t ia seldom
enforced.
The laws Of the United States. both
Federal and State. recognize nice dis
tinctfons between general freedom Of
the press and Of speech and seditious
or 1ibelous abuse of that liberty.
Americans are so jealous of freedom
In criticixing public servants in Office
that there Is hardly any limit to
license. restraining abuse and ridicule.
We Americans therefore have little
conception Of what Mussolini or
Pilsudski would do to our license to
tell what we think of them If thew
undertook to suppress our political
criticisms. Mussolini boasts that he
has abolished the Immortal princi-
pies" the pillars of Roman law, on
which much of our own laws is based.
Yet while our Constitution makes
freedom of speech one of its own i'm
mortal principles" that provision was
the first to be overthrown by Con-
gress. which. under the pressure Of
President Adams passed the Alien
act, June 25, 1913. and the Sedition
act the following July IA.
These acts were inspired by efforts
Of the Government to stop the agita-
ton Of sympathizers with France in
the Napoleonic wars with Great Brit
ain. 1t was the policy of the admin
istration to refrain from taking sides
in European entanglements,' but
there was virulent political opposition
to that neutrality.
The Alien act was aimed not at
American citizens, but al aliens living
here and corfspiring for the interests
of their own countries-particula
France. The act gave the President
power to depOrt them or, If they failed
to go. to iniprison them at his will
The Sedition act imposed a penalty
Of two years Imprisonment and $4,000
fine for printing scandalous matter
concerning the Federal Government,
either the President or Congress.
Copyright. 1926. by Paul ". Collins)