Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-03-21
America Must Keep Aflame
The Beacon Light of Liberty


Printed by special permission Of The Omaha Bee-News
How is it possible for sane Americans to seek to
destroy their own liberties when they see the fearful
results of the loss OF liberty in foreign lands?
In Italy the Fascist government has suppressed all
freedom of thought and expression, has drilled and
dragooned all independent industry and all prosperity
out of the country, and has utterly impoverished the
people in order to crafty the governments imperial
ambition, and to maintain a nation in arms.
In Germany not only is all liberty lost, and all
modern ideas of freedom of thought and speech and
publication ended, but as further evidence Of complete
return to the dark ages, the Nazi government has re-
vived medieval methods OF execution, and political
practices of wholesale assassination.
The conditions existing in Russia are the most
horrfying of all.
There there is absolutely no liberty. no security
no prospect but poverty and misery under a govern
ment without mercy, no future for subject classes but
persecution and starvation
There from eight to ten million farmers in the past
two years have been robbed Of their grain by the
Communist government and allowed slowly to starve
to a dreadful death.
Over one million farmers, according to the publ
cation Time. have been exiled to Siberia where half OF
the men, women and children have died wretchedly
from cold and exposure.
Their only crime was that they could not raise
enough grain to satisfy the greed OF the Communist
plunderers.
Nothing in the whole history Of despottc Russia
even in the days Of Ivan the Terrible has in any way
equaled the bloody and calculated cruelty Of the Com
munist tyranny.
Europe is reverting to tyranny and with tyranny
comes not only the suppression Of all popular rights
and liberties but the elimination OF all hope Of general
peace and happiness and individual prosperity.
Communism. the attempt Of ignorant and illiberal
extremists to establish class government by force ana
violence, is the primary cause Of all these evils.
When the tyranny Of Communism threatens the
world, Fascism arises to combat it and In the cruel
class conflict which follows force is met with force,
violence with violence, and chaos comes again.
We in America should be spared these terrible
conditions.
We should scotch the serpent Of Communism at
It's birth. We should suppress the evil of class conflict
at its beginning.
Otherwise we shall see right here In free America
Fascism raised up to fight Communicative shall be
Mortified witnesses Of a terrible struggle, In which
democracy will surely be destroyed.
If the class conflict once gains Roadway there can
be no victory except for t~yranny-the tyranny Of Com
munism or the tyranny Of F~ascism-ani either tyranny
means the loss of all our liberties, the end OF free
thought and free speech and fair trial, the destruction
of the fundamental rights Of free men, the regimen
tation OF society into a subject state with the scepter
held in the bloody hand OF d~espotism.
Then the desolation OF the dark ages win be here
again
In this free America OF ours, In the wholesome
hearts of our outstanding independent people lies the
best hope for the survival Of liberty and e~nlighten-
ment and for the conservation Of civilization.
We must be worthy of our great opportunity, our
great obligation.
Our duty is not only to our own people but to the
world
We must keep the torch Of freedom afame to
light the feet of humanity, weary Of oppression, back
to civilization, back to the free exercise and enjoyment
OF the elemental human rights Of life, liberty and the
pursuit OF happiness:-Wilham Randolph Hearst.