The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 26, 1917, Page 7

_ alleged to contain treason: AN thrown overboard, as oppressive and tyrannical, the very methods of hindering free speech that Lamar is using in the United States. Can we make Russia believe in our sincerity and sympathy for their efforts toward democracy when we resort to as bad as the Czar ever resorted to to oppress the people? But the methods of the Bureaucrat Lamar are not the only objec- tions to him. He is by temperament and training unfitted to sit in _ Judgment on what is and what is not treasonable. An example is his ruling on that branch of the American radical press that espouses the doctrine of ‘“‘internationalism.’” The big majority of Americans have no sympathy with ‘‘internationalism’’ as it is preached while this coun- try is at war. Many advocates ofthe doctrine have overstepped the bounds and sought or conspired to hinder the prosecution of the war, which is treason. But there are laws and courts to attend to these. Lamar, however, is credited with ruling that the mere advocacy of ‘‘internationalism’’ as an abstract principle is a repudiation of na- tional governments, and hence, when advocated or discussed in the United States while this coun- try is at.war, is treason. Such a position is absurd. It is in fundamental opposition to our free institutions. We boast that we have the right to criticize govern- ment and advocate what we be- lieve to be improvements. The advocacy of ‘‘internationalism’’ a8 an abstract principle comes within that right. The fact that many of us can not agree with the internationalists should not lead us to persecute them for their - opinions or suppress théir utter- ances. Lamar and his kind are suffi- ciently answered by United States Judge Rose at Baltimore, who ruled as follows on a pamphlet This circular contains nothing whatever to warrant a criminal charge to be lodged against any man for distributing it. Every man has a right, if he chooses, to criticize adversely any system of society or any law, so long as he obeys that law while it is a law ‘We fought and bled of old to establish the principle of freedom of press and speech enunciated by Judge Rose in these words. Are we as a people to give it up light- 1y, because of Lamar, intrenched in his bureau at ‘Washington? Lamar should read John Stuart Mill and the declaration of prin- ciples of the new Russian govern- ment—also the constitution of the United States. * * * Solicitor Lemar of the post office department is presumed to be a Democrat, serving, as he is, under a Democratic administration. The greatest Democrat—Thomas Jeffer- ITORIAL SECT WE DON'T WANT THIS We must not let fanatics who have lost their heads stampede us. We must keep this a war OF as well as FOR democracy, by retaining our liberties, constitutions O N Indianapolis going to participate in the next presidential campaign, with such an ordinance on its books? It’s funny, yes. But it is a natural result of a war hysteria rampant all over the country that is not so humorous. We have had some indication of it in states where the Nonpartisan league is organized. Papers have advocated jailing or hanging President Townley of the League for ‘‘treason.’’ Yet Presi- dent Townley‘s speeches have been patriotic. The Fargo Forum ad- vocated mob violence at a Fargo meeting of the League, to SUppress the speakers. Solicitor Lamar .of the post office department and his czar-like methods of suppressing alleged seditious publications; without trial or a semblance of hearing of any kind, is another evidence of the same war hysteria. The fanatical endeavor to make it appear that every at- tempt of labor unions to obtain better wages or conditions is financed by Germany, is more of the same hysteria. The other day séven boys and six girls, one 17 years old and the others just past the legal ages of 18 and 21 were jailed for ‘‘trea- son.”” TFancy a 17 or 18-year-old boy or girl tried for ‘hindering the nation in conducting the war. The 13 youthful culprits were held in a total of $110,000 bonds, which they could not raise and they had to spend six days in jail, till they were released by a judge who saw the humor as well as the menace of acts of this kind by ig- norant and hysterical police offi- cers. This happened in Philadel- phia, ‘‘city of brotherly love,’’ home of Independence hall and the Liberty bell. The children were foolish and ill-advised, of course. They ought to be spank- ed, probably. * * * Stevenson_said: “The world is so full of a number of things | think we should all be as happy as kings,” but a more recent writer has changed it to: .“The world is so full of a number of kings, | think that is what is the matter with things.” * * * DON'T CROWD, BOYS ELL, it looks as though ‘;‘/ the good old band- wagon won’t be able to hold ’em all. There has been another rush for seats, similar to that last year when the League swept the state at the North Da- kota elections. After the election last year, most everybody was for the League—even some of the newspapers that had most vicious- ly misrepresented it and most bit- terly fought its farmer candi- dates., ‘When the bandwagon got over- crowded last year after the son—once said: “Error can be tol- erated if opinion is left free to com- bat it.” But Jefferson was probab- ly a “raitor.” and free institutions, even during the war.- Various parts of the country are going spy ‘mad; we are crying “traitor” at each other; our postoffice is suppress- ing papers without trial or hearing; honest criticism of war policies is being called sedition. Let us banish this war hysteria. League’s success, we took occasion to remark that we enjoyed seeing the vehicle well populated, but WAR HYSTERIA HE city of Indianapolis, Ind., after all these years of American I liberty and free institutions (see your school histories), enjoys the distinction, so far as we have been able to learn, of being the home of the first attempt to revive in the United States the ancient and ridiculous crime of ‘‘Lese Majesty’’—making it eriminal to eriti- ecize the ‘‘ruler’’ of the country, Don’t laugh, Indianapolis is in dead- . ly'earnest. Read this: General ordinance No. 35.—An ordinance relating to conduct of per- sons toward the government of the United States of America. Be it or- dained by the common countil of the city of Indianapolis, Ind: It shall be unlawful, while a state of war exists between the United States of America and any other country, nation or government, for any person to publish, circulate or transmit by mail or otherwise, or have in his pos- session for the purpose of publishing, circulating or transmitting by 'mail or otherwise, any written or printed matter, whether word, sign or picture, in any form, that expresses disrespect or contempt for, or de- fiance of the president of the United States of America. Could war hysteria go further! We imagine that President (Wilson is having a good latg]i over it himself. It’s funny. How is that we weren’t being fooled by a humber who had climbed on with the intention of throwing a monkey wrench in the gears when occasion arose—in other words, that we were taking new friends on probation and were going to watch them care- fully and kick ’em off the bandwagon when we caught them trying to " puncture ths tires or put water in the gasoline. Now that Baer has been put over by a smashing victory, this same advise is apropos. The sunny.weather friends are coming out. Peo- ple like to be with a_successful thing, especially newspapers. It pays - to be on the popular side. So they are again making a rush for band- wagon seats. The League’s new, tremendous success—the-election of Baer—for the present has silenced the opposition. But all those who got on last year didn’t stay on the bandwagon, which is a good deal like the water wagon in that respect. Some of last year’s bandwagon- ers were fighting Baer this year; and some of this year’s bandwagoners will be fighting the League candidates next year, * % @ A tip to promulgators of war hysteria: Why not put pretzels and German fried potatoes under the ban? That ought to help win the war. PAGE SEVEN