AMERICAN PROBLEMS by WILLIAM E.BORAH 1924

288 WILLIAM E. BORAH
reason for denying these political prisoners
their freedom.
It is not, in my opinion, the offense
for which they were convicted.
It is not
because the court record condemns them.
is
for another offense—unknown to the criminal
code and undisclosed in the sentences under
which they are now serving. These men
it is claimed are members of an organization
known as the Industrial Workers of the World
—an organization, as many of us believe, antagonistic
in its teachings to the good order
and happiness of society and to the principles
of representative government. I understand
they are members of this organization, some
of them at least. Let that fact be conceded.
Let it be conceded that they are believers in
these insupportable doctrines. But these men
are not now in prison, under sanction of law,
for sabotage, for acts of violence to either persons
or property. They are being punished
for political offenses—charged with having offered
opinions and views upon the war and the
activities of the government in the prosecution
of the war. If these men have violated any
law touching the character of the organization
of which they are members, if they have been
guilty of acts of violence defined by any provision
of the criminal code, for these offenses
It