INCITING LAWLESSNESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1920, Page 5

INCITING LAWLESSNESS.

EDITOR AND PAPER CONVICTED, j THE GREY RIVER ARGUS, ARTICLE ABOUT REVOLUTION. By TelegrmU.—Press Abju.—Copyilsbt. Greymouth, Last Night. Before Mr. Maunsell, {J.M., to-day, the Orcy River Argus Company and t tic manager (Mr. Jas. O'Brien) were charged, under section 2 of th# Police OHerices Amendment Act, 1910, that by publishing in tlie Argus on Aug. full an article headed "Blackball Notes," they dnl encourage lawlessness, and that by So doing the manager did incite lawlessness. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr, Park) appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. V<. .J. ,Joyce for the defence. The article in question, under the lwading ''Our Own Correspondent," stated, inter alia:—

"From the wage earners' point of view the most important event in the world to-day is the success attending the Red Army of Russia in scattering and humiliating all the forces of reaction and intrigue that can bo scraped together by the Allies' capitalists in their efforts to bring the Russian proletariat into the fold of capitalist domination and exploitation. "The magnificent achievements of the revolutionary army in Russia are indeed inspiring to the wage slaves of the world, and should result in a determination on their part to use every possible means to bring about the supreme objective of the Russian proletariat's revolution, which is world domination by the world's producers. "An uprising and seizure of the political state of Germany, Britain, Prance, Austria, Italy, Spain, and other European countries is well Within striking distance, and will probably'" become an accomplished fact within the next few years, In the present world's erisis the workers must definitely take sides. ' "We have either got to be uncompromising revolutionists, or meek and servile mensheviks, the Rußßian equivalent for groups like the British Labor Party, the 1.L.P., and others. It is useless to go on believing that tho capitalist class will subnet to being tamely dispossessed by the,process oi counting heads, or legislated out of existence. As Lenin says, there ,U only one way for the worker to gel possession of the means of production and distribution, and that, is to take .it."

Mr. I'ark stated tlie Act%a» directly against the advocacy of Bolsheviajn generally, and he called the' Magistrate's attention to the last passage of tbfl article. He read Nelson's War History to show what Bolshevism was, and the Magistrate agreed to accept this as an authority. Mr. Joyce submitted there was no case to answer. The only part of the article cited was the end. Webster's definition of revolution was "a fundamental cliange of Government by another Government" as, for instance, the overthrow of a Government by the number who had roost votes; revolutions could be bloodlew and justifiable. The Crown's definitions were inconsistent. The general policy of the Argus was democratic and constitutional.

Mr. O'Brien gave evidence that the paper stood always for constitutional action as opposed to violence, and lie quoted leading articles in proof. He interpreted the words complained of as quite consistent with constitutional action, the ultimate goal being socialism, The article did not deal with New Zealand directly, but Europe. The Magistrate said this was the first prosecution under the section in question. The language used was clear. He would consider the policy of the paper, but the article would instil revolutionary ideas into readers. The writer used the word ''we." The latter part was the most serious, laying the workers should take what they wanted, which was inciting lawlessness. He accepted Mr. O'Brien's statement that he did not write or read the article before publication, and would convict him and order him to come up for sentence when colled on. The company would be convicted and fined £25 and costs. If His Worship knew the writer of the article he would send him to prison.