The Indianapolis times., 1927-01-22
KEEPING FREE OPINION FREE
How long can free opinion keep free?
BY n. ID. Cochran

Are the people of this country so hopelessly and
stuobornly ntoleEant that they be happy unless
they can punish anybody who doesn't think as they
think?
Are our minds so tightly closed that they shut out
an opinions that might disturb the calm serenity of
their fixed habit of thought?
The Independent calls itself "A Weekly Journal of
Free opinion" 1t founded in 1S4S and for the
better part of century has contributed TO the thoueb
OF this country Yet in its issue of % we find this
remarkable statement
Now we are fully aware of the GRIEF we bring
doWn on our heads whenever venture to question
the infalbiity of Mr. Coolidge we realize that tbis
editorial OF ours will result in the indignant cancela.
uon OF many subscriptions and will not add single
subscriber to our lists But nevertheless we no more
believe that the President entitled to the sunnor ~
MS countrymen in this instance than we believe he
is entitled to the highest batting average in the Ma
uona League. He has made bad case for q oues
uonable cause. Until he gives better reasons we
absolutely refuse, to support him in his Ncara puan
poHcy Ills course leads logically, if to war at
@ east 10 ploodshed. We have had enough of war and
klng to think it ustifedf indeed it can be justified
only in the hoiest and nobest of causes only as the
ast resort or sefprotecton only accomplish an end
Oh superauve Importance and clear righteousness In
he ldce OF the facts so far to u.s. we shall
oppose intervention hostities the best of orr
aoiity, And on that platform stand"
What interests me most in the editorial is the
thought that any considerable number of Subscribers
might quit reading the Independent because n o,,o
uoned the infalibily of Mr.. Coolidge or any other
PRESIDENT For if American intolerance is as had as
oiiIhaC optnlSt on AnercaniSm little hnne
for the future. ~ 0P0
The United States is a democracy We nrordt,
ooast tnat any native born American boy NAV become
PRESIDENT We point out the lowly beginnings of Abra
nam Lincoln, the rail splitter. Our last two presi
dents We're proof enough that most anybody can he
come president But it doesn't change the nature mr.
the fundamental character of any man tn take hin,
from private life and put him in the White House
certainly it doesn't make him infallibe Presidents
and very good Presidents-have made mistakes
other Presidents will make mistakes so long as the
republic lasts. ~
1t is the right Of American citizens freely to cti
cise the acts of their public servants whether Pres
dent Governor, Senator what not But free criti.
cism doesn't mean lack of respect for the Office We
respect the presidency but necessarily at all times
.he human being who happens to occupy. for the time
being, the Office we respect
Certainly there are many more Americans who
love free speech than there Americans who ara 80
ogoted and intoerant that they won't even read onin
IONS that differ from their And if these find o,t
tnat the Independent is journal free opinion that
organ of free opinion will get more subscribers than
it will lose. ~
There are many thousands, not to say millions M
men and women in this country who persistently read
the other side in order keep their minds omen and
TO prevent their thinking from becoming musce-bound
Ihe great thing is for people to THINK. 1t isn't SO
important that they think think. Once they be-
gin thinking they will think themselves out of wrong
thinking in the end however they wobbe at the
start