The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 13, 1919, Page 7

- come enthusiastic over h . [rny cal patch’s definition, and, as the Dispatch'says, péaceful meetings can --be declared “riots’” and broken up. : ; % It makes no difference whether orders against peaceful assem- “blage by sheriffs, etc., are authorized by law or not. Such laws are clearly unconstitutional. The Constitution of the United States states plainly that the right of free speech and peaceful assembly “shall not be abridged.” ; g ' The right of freedom of opinion and speech and peaceful assem- blage is even above constitutions. ‘These rights are inherent in man. They are derived from nature, or from God, if you like, and not even constitutions can rightfully deprive human beings of their exercise. , : : THE PEACE TREATY . UR readers have noted our failure either to support or oppose O the ratification of the peace treaty and league of nations covenant, and some of them feel that an explanation is due. To be frank, the Leader has been of the opinion that it doesn’t make much difference whether the treaty is ratified with or without reser- vations, or not at all. Had the treaty and the league covenant been - based on the 14 points, we most certainly would vigorously have .supported their ratification. But, as we have several times pointed ~out, the result of the Versailles congress amounts to a repudiation of Mr. Wilson’s war pronouncements. : - What the senate has before it is a treaty made on the same “basis that all treaties in the past have been made. ‘It holds out no hope for a new day in the world through recognition and enforce- ment of those great principles of justice and équity among nations so nobly defined by, our président, on which alone a permanent world peace can be established. ¢ ; : As to the league of nations covenant, it is no better or worse ‘than the alliances among the victorious powers which-have followed “world bloodshed in the past. ; The ratification of the treaty and the league, with or without ‘the proposed reservations, will place the world in no worse a posi- tion than it was prior to 1914, when the war began. Should the senate refuse to ratify, a new treaty would necessarily have to be formulated by the victorious governments, and would be forced on the defeated governments, whether or not they wanted it, as this LEPUBLICANS. : 7 was. With our president seemingly incapable of furnishing the - kind of leadership needed to assure the carrying out of the prin- ciples of world justice he so splendidly phrased during the war, and with the governments of our allies in Europe bankrupt in moral qualities and blind to the new ideas of justice stirring the peoples ‘everywhere, any new treaty or covenant which might be drawn, as .a result of the senate refusing to ratify, likewise would be based ‘chiefly on the old ideas of diplomacy and balance of power. The only hope for the world is for the peoples to assert them- selves. When they do so their governments will be willing to make a peace treaty in line with Mr. Wilson’s formulas, and when govern- ments have become fully responsive and responsible to the peoples, there will be world peace and a league of nations of the right sort, whether or not the senate swallows the present document whole, modifies or rejects it. And so we say it doesn’t make much differ- ence what thesenate does. e ; : Our readers are familiar with our support of the president and his 14 points during the war. Every ounce of the Leader’s influ- ence, such as it ‘was, was thrown into the balance to uphold Mr. Wil- s0n in his war aims statements, and to uphold our country and gov- ernment, which he had committed to those aims. We stand ready to battle again for the same principles. We believed, and still be- lieve, in a league of nations, and we will not quarrel with those who think that the league now proposed is a start in the right direction, - -and who hope it ‘will have some effect in the fiiture on the side of world peace and against war. Nor will we scoff at their hope that this league, if ratified by the senate, will be an opening wedge, and can and will be amended in the future to be a real guarantee of peace and justice among nations. But the chances for a real league - would be just as great, we believe, if the senate refuses to ratify the present covenant. Successful amendment of the league of nations ‘constitution would ‘necessarily await a day when new ideas of statesmanship have captured the rulers and cabinets of Europe, and when that day comes nothing can disturb universal peace or halt the orderly, progressive development of the world, no matter . what is done with the Versailles agreement.: - : ; ; - And so.the present bitter, partisan fight over the treaty and - league has, we confess, failed to move us to any great interest or _excitement. The very character of the Republican-Democratic de- ~ bate over -the matter has probably contributed to this' apathy. Neither side is discussing the real issues. It is impossible to be- the opposition .capital for 1920 ho are seeking politi - ported to Siberia those who resisted or éftefnbféd to exercise the - right of free speech. Any suppression anywhere of the right of - free speech and peaceful assembly can be justified under the ‘Dis-- of the Republican leaders, editorials, both from sources not whose hfdfiize’ is political advantage over the president rather than ber-stamp Democrats defending the pact, not much more can be said. ‘We admire Mr: Wilson for the gift of language that enabled him to make those noble statements. We can not entirely believe that he himself was not inspired with a realization that the peace and safety of the world depended on living up to those pronounce- ments, when he was kindling hope in the breasts of mankind during the war. Had he come back to America admitting his failure to convince the selfish governments of Europe at Versailles, but show: ing a clean record of fighting foi his announced principles—had he said: “Fellow citizens, I couldn’t get the 14 points into the treaty, but I did the best I could and ask you to ratify the treaty as the best that could be framed under existing conditions, and T will continue At /- S5y ' 7y WULSONS s ;e///’//,/f///{y_,,% 4 wLsoH (€ POINTS. to lead you and the world in the fight ultimatély to secure the 14 ~points”—had he said that, and meant it, we could support him now. But respecting him as we do for his brilliant analysis of the causes of war and his epoch-making statements of the remedy, it is too much to accept his statement that the 14 points have not been re- pudiated, and sickening to read his defenses of imperialists for what is being done in Russia and is to be done with Shantung. Our readers are welcome to their own views on the ratification of the treaty and to support the Republicans or the president, as they see fit. The best policy for the Leader is to lend no aid or com- fort to either side. HATE VS. COMMON SENSE HE Wichita Daily Eagle is not supporting Nonpartisan l league principles. It does not approve of A. C. Townley and Joseph Gilbert. Yet the Eagle estimates aright the effect of the judicial persecution of Mr. Townley and Mr. Gilbert at Jackson, Minn. It published the following editorial September 17: i MAKING MARTYRS A Minnesota judge who has given repeated evidence of prejudice . has sentenced the two leading figures in the Nonpartisan league to three months in jail each. 3 ; This is more of that.judicial folly which is responsible for much of the ferment of unrest and intolerance that is bringing unhappiness to this country. Judges without vision are doing more to stir up dis- content in this country than all the propaganda of the Russian Reds. Sending Mr. Townley to jail for three months will dacide no ques- tion of economics. It will immensely increase the power of Townley and his co-workers in spreading the doctrines of the Nonpartisan league. -Entirely regardless of the merits or demerits of the doctrines preached by the Leaguers, the lawful officials of communities can not do worse than to prosecute the advocates of these doctrines. Every Leaguer sent to jail has made a thousand converts to the organization for which he suffered. Every organizer tarred and feathered or other- " wise barbarously treated has made more converts than he could have made in five years of arguing and soliciting. Every speaker prohibited from speaking has gained new members to his fold. The chief asset of the Nonpartisan league today is its record of martyrdom. Yet magistrates of small caliber insist upon making more martyrs for them. ; p You can not jail an idea. You can not imprison opinion. When will foolish politicians learn this old, old lesson? Contrast this opinion with the following from the Des Moines (Iowa) Capital, quoted with approval by the St. Paul Pioneer Press: TOWNLEY'’S SENTENCE : The state of Minnesdta, in punishing Townley for his utterances, has served notice that it intends to have a republican form of govern- A TELR/B, . ) Ol /. < TG S OF PREJUDICE ment, and that it has no place within its borders, except behind bars, for seditionists. - : A Townley’s sentence was pitifully light, but it is sufficient to serve as a warning to all men of his ilk, His Nonpartisan league operated pretty well in the state of its birth, North Dakota, but it surely made a mistake when it lapped over into Minnesota. Minnesota may have some Socialists and radicals among its citizenship, but it is not yet ready to give earnest attention to the mouthings of Townley. 2 S We trust the lesson will be a good one for the Nonpartisan head, =" - and that he may come out of confinement more in sympathy with the ideals of good .government, and less anxious to spread his poisonous gospel in neighhoring states. If he shall not profit by his. sentence 5 he may have an opportunity to subsist for a while on the faré of other staii}:risons. He is too dangerous a man to preach his gospel undis- _The opposition to the League would do well to study the friendly to the organized f: ion? Which is mere stupi and convi the peace and safety of the world. As to Mr. Wilson and the rub- | :