Free Speech is New Denied

OR centuries the right of free speech has been demanded and
fought for by the common people of all civilized countries. For
centuries its granting has been opposed by all reactionary
forces in all backward nations. In British communities it was

won long since chiefly through the efforts and sacrifices of the work—
ing classes. Since it was won it has been the chief safeguard of those
who advocated reforms and the general betterment of conditions under
which the working classes found it necessary to earn their living.

Last evening in Winnipeg a minority of those assembled in a pub—
lic place to hear a specific discussion of a matter of most vital public
importance. undertook to challenge the right of free speech and to
prevent law-abiding citizens from indulging in this peculiarly sacred
British privilege.

A meeting was called by the Citizens' Committee of One
Thousand to discuss the business of that committee—the business be-

ing the business of every citizen who desires the safeguarding of'
A minority-«a small minority "

British institutions and law and order.
composed of strikers and sympathizers with the strikers—successfully
'undertook to prevent the discussion. They conducted themselves in
such a disorderly manner that it was found necessary to dismiss the
meeting before the matter which it was called to discuss could be dis-
posed of.

Now. these disorderly persons~may think that it was a smart trick
to undertake to pack this meeting and by rowdyism~that is to say by
rowdy interruptions—to bring it to naught—but if they ohly realized
what a precedent they are establishing they would understand that
they only succeeded in doing a grave injury to their own cause by in-
viting the revival of a disbelief in the justice and propriety of the right
of free speech, the right to congregate for public discussion and the
Light to agitate in a public manner. the exercise of all of which rights
has given to the very class that the interrupters think they represent
.he dearest privileges and the freest opportunities that they enjoy in
riritish communities to-day.

A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT

It is but a step from the interruption of one public meeting to the
.nterruption of all public meetings—and if all public meetings should
be interrupted. or prevented. how could the laboring classes ever hope
:0 avert a relapse into the former conditions of labor. which made the
' working man of former generations rightly protest that his lot was
little better than that of a slave?

If there is any one class more than another that should zealously
guard the right of free speech, it is the class that fought for it. Any
man that is classed as reactionary might be expected to welcome such
a reversion. No good citizen. however. to whatever Class he may be—
long. can do anything but deplore the spectacle of men who profess to
clamor for liberty in the highest degree. at the same time undertaking
to prevent the operation of the greatest safeguard that liberty pos-
sesses.

The Citizens’ Committee gave no provocation for interruption. No
constitutional authority in V‘v’innipeg. in the Province of Manitoba. or
in the Dominion of Canada. gave provocation for such interruptions.
The meetings of the Strike Committee. the meetings of Labor Union-
isrs even the most violent meetings of the Red Socialists have been
uninterrupted. The mosr violent appeels to the basest pass ions have
Seen permitted in public places, because even although their prevention
tjvr punishment might be eminently desirable in the public interests, it

1as feared that such interruption might be misunderstood as a veiled
ttack upon free speech.
' The interrupters of last night‘smeeting. those who made the first
Esort to rowdyism. will eventually bring down upon their own heads
1e curses of those whom they misguidedly seek to serve if they should
acceed by such provocation in clamping down upon Winnipeg. or
.en upon a wider sphere. a form of prohibition of radical discussion.
1ast night’s rowdyism was an open invitation to vigorous retaliation.
will not be to the credit of the rowdies if the invitation should not be
,gcepted. It.\y~i‘ll be due solely to the fact that greater toleration and
moderation are to be found in constituted authority and law-abiding
citizenship than in those who seek to advance the interests of Bol-
shevism. revolution, anarchy and treason.

   

May 23, 1919. Published in Winnipeg in the interest of tire C1

. nottim' bulwark of British :“1'1-1:~
hi 5 +115, when the strikers park-.1
11.151 (11: One Thousand —- a meeting
; the executive to la' b fore the whole committee :1
report on .\ nat had been accomplishcd since the strike. began. A. L.
Cross in. the chairman. Major Mel vor and A. J. Andrews, K.C., were
the only speakers to attempt to takt the plattorm. Though ‘Majcr
McIvor received: he best hear: n; e: the three, the hearings accorded
all three were uproarious.

Mayor 6-: “" was on the '11 latfo arm and there were repeated calls from
the strik kers for ltim to speak. -Ii 11: Worship appealed for order and
British fair 3: .' several times for 0 £31: speasers but did not get a
chance before the distur‘r-ers caused the chairman to dissolve the
audience. to maize a1.y addiess. Below is :1 fair report: on the meeting,
illustrating the frequency of the interruptions.

The gallery we: the piaziorm. :1'11 Etc-or 111‘ the 1111l,.111-.l the Sid-5:441-
leries were packed with Strikers '11'ho yelled and jeeietl whenever they
heard anything they did not '—-—1,1.Il'1'ir‘r1 was (11111.1: often. The :limax

“'1'":

c-
.5 swept avcav lam

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came when in T11? middie c: 9:. l...L1.1'1cir::1.v:z’ speech the strikers rose
and gave :1: .:e cheers and a tiger '1'12' the “One Big Union," the
frankly-eel: z... ov-dedg ed rcw'olu'tior15m,P organization. After this, Mr.

Andrews 215:: et. i all vrho t iought that Sonar-)1 Robertson was to lnvc
addressed 1:: meeting to raise Ififéli t1:_1nclii—-.111.(l the showing was so
great that it' c. as quite plain that a misundeistanding had been cause
by somebodu . Between fnc misapprelu-nciun .11111 the disturbance
which con: :11 -1—:]. the rrieet.':=1_1_'1nlas broken up.

At the rope rang :. L. Cross r1 (1:: taiiman) st. mic-l that tl1' 1; wa-s a
' -n sympati 1,1 with the objects for 1.7. 15-2 ‘1 the

  

Committee :5 a Tnotisards mils. (Roars ot' derision.)
THE PURPOSE Ot‘ lim‘rtld J‘illlbl’l [UL-‘1
1 it? e 5'.‘.‘."1.‘&1'-_ . :red to describe it”. purposes of this meeting. \VC
invited those :1 5:1rr1'121"1' 1111.1 ' or 111421.. ts and then: are a large mun-

:10: in sympainv with those objects.” (Ironical
1n again att: rnptc rl 10 1: ontintu.‘ but. was drowned
Miner. tniu putty subsided l\lr. c1131.-

1eu the purposes of our committee.”
At this stage Mayor Gray
was greeted by :1

bet prese. .: woo a:
cheering 1 .1117. Class
" interruptions.
qud like-1t o te;.
1: noise all over thr null)
.115' -1'a1, to ‘11:. p11. 11mm, when: 1111
tremendous -:' . ion lasting ‘or some minutes. Mr. Crossin, on turn-
ing age in :c ' - audien'e. '"as a ted with insulting jecr; an] yells
such as Le: a ..1ar1 spea 1'“ and 13.1112. 115 :1 song, ’ followed by c'ills for
Mayor (37:; :ne'rs and ruse-ll? .111 the mid t of a: 1 absolute
pandemoniurr: l-E ayor Gray demand: 1d 111111 the chairman be heard.
“That s Erit'sr. :" 1r flay. Lea dded, amid applause.

sin resu..1ed: Z 1.»
(Cries of ‘ -\o'
entered and :1

   

 

     

'. arlu

again was tward 1(1 1—1 «"11“ for :1 see-Judo '1' t1'1_7."’fl1cre
turpeses {or MLJi.‘ we were. org mizetl,” he said.
“The firs: :15 " {11.135 of “To smash tln. strike" and cheers.)
Mr. Crossin stuc’: to his guns, but was again interrupted by demands
for his name. “Ft/iv name does. no mute-H but I was born in a log cabin
down in the Province :1. 0111.211 2o " This was greeted with a yell, “You
ought to go back."

“\’\.’e are organized in the first place. to join with the constituted
authorities m zit-15'. city in maintaining law and order,” was his next 1'-:--
mark 11' hicn'. :..1rr1ediately drew dovxn a thorus of booing, and a striker
arose in the galfery and rema:ked. “This; is the most speechless city
in Canada." Tnere were more coir: fo: the Mayor, and the Mayor’s
rising to as}: it." order served as the 53:11:11.: for another minute or two
of cheering. ’

“Men.” he said. ‘there are always ‘wo sides to a question.” (Cries
of “No.”) “There are 2111.133 5 two -113. -. to everyth ing, no matter which
one is being heard,” continued the Mayor. “Let us give these gentle—
men a hearing—4 fair chance to State their case. Criticism is the
foundation of good go 'ernrnent Give him a chance to state the coma
mittee 5 case. (Cries of They ve g'tt no case” and “VJe're fighting
for a living") The Mayor added. ‘l‘low, free speech is an essential
of the British constitution. and cr nelsm 1:; always a proper thing to
I appeal ‘1 or the chairman. Hear h'n: —-— hiar any 11. man '1'li‘.)

Mr. Crossma
are three . '12.- er .-

 

 

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