The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-12-22

an assumption that is the precise
ment of the last few years, all the
hearings, Investigations, and publicity
releases, have not turned up more
than four or five communist profess
sors, even though membership in that
party has been perfectly legal up to
now. To require oaths of loyalty
from all because of the eccentricity
of an infinitesimal minority is an un-
necessary and derogatory act. And of
course it will not effect any useful
purpose, for teachers who are dis
loyal will certainly be dishonest.
BETTER IDEAS
The way to fight ideas is to show
that you have better ideas. No idea
crisis. You demonstrate the failure
of your ideas if, when the crisis
comes, you abandon them or lose
faith in them or get confused about
them to the point of forgetting what
they are.
The American idea is freedom.
Freedom necessarily implies that the
status quo may come under the
criticism of those who think it can
be improved. The American idea
is that the state exists for its citi-
zens and that change in society must
occur to meet their developing needs.
What would the FBI say of Thomas
Jefferson, who calmly remarked in
his First Inaugural, eff there be any
among us who wish to dissolve the
Union, or change it's republican form,
lei them stand undisturbed, as monu-
ments of the safety with which error
of opinion may be tolerated where
reason is left free to combat it?
REAL CONFIDENCE
jefferson was not in favor of revo-
luton; he was serene in the face of
talk of it because he had confidence
in our people, in our institutions, in
democracy, and in the value, power,
and results of independent thought.
We must protect ourselves against
external enemies, their representa-
tives in this country, and any citi-
zens who may be conspiring to over
throw or betray the government.
But the statute books are already
filled with laws directed to these
ends. 1t has never been shown that
here are so many spies or traitors
n this country, or that the external
LANCER is so great and imminent that
We have to divert the entire attention
# our people into one great repres-
i've preoccupation, into one great
ounter-revolution in which the free
IONS of our citizens must be thrown
verboard as too burdensome for the
Laundering ship of state to carry.
,EEP REVISIONS
1t is useful to remember that JEFF
erson spoke in 1901, when our Con-
titution was IL years old, and when
he infant republic was in dread
ul danger from deep divisions with
n and from the wars that were rag
ng between the great powers. If he
vas right in speaking in such way
t such time, we cannot be far from
wrong if now, when America is the
most powerful nation on earth, we
eek to recapture some of his sanity
nd courage.
How is the educated man to show
he fruits of his education in times
ike these? He must do it by showing
hat he can and will think for him
elf. He must keep his head, and use
t. He must never push other people
round, nor acquiesce when he sees
t done. He must struggle to retain
he perspective that his studies have
iven him and decline to be car
led away by waves of hysteria. He
1ust be prepared to pay the penalty
f unpopularity. He must hold fast
Q This faith in freedom. He must in
ist that freedom is the chief glory
f mankind and that to repress it
in effect to repress the human
oirit.