Arena magazine - Volume 35 (1906) (14784472293)

Identifier: ArenaMagazine-Volume35 (find matches)
Title: Arena magazine - Volume 35
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: B.O. Flower (ed.)
Subjects: progressivism -- United States liberalism reformism social reform Christian Socialism Gay 90s political commentary Benjamin Orange Flower Progressive Era social gospel
Publisher:



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r Patterson felt assured, from facts andevidence which he deemed irrefutable, of thetruth of his contention, that he inspired thecriticisms which were published only because he felt that the ends of justice, good govern-ment and popular rights demanded such crit-icism. On the publication of his strictures,however, and of the cartoon in question, theChief Justice of Colorado had the Attorney-General institute proceedings against the Sen-ator, who only asked the privilege of estab-lishing the truth of his contention or provingthe justice of his strictures. Apparently thiswas precisely what the court did not wish done,as it refused to allow the evidence to be pre-sented and forthwith declared that: Thejudgment of the court is that the respondent,Senator Patterson, be fined in the sum of onethousand dollars and costs and that he standcommitted to the common jail in the city andcounty of Denver until such fine and costsare paid. When the court asked the respondent if he Digitized by Google
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Photo. Copyright, 1902, by J. E. Purdy, Boston, Mass. THOMAS M. PATTERSON, UNITED 8TATE8 SENATOR FROM COLORADO 191 Digitized by Google 192 Editorials. had anything to say as to why judgment shouldnot be pronounced finding him guilty of con-tempt, Senator Patterson made a magnificentstand for freedom of speech and of the press,against the assumption of power as autocraticas was ever arrogated by an oriental despot.This manly and wholly admirable plea placesthe eminent statesman among the brave menon historys roll of honor who have refusedto play the craven when freedom and justicewere at stake. With a superb courage, worthyof an Eliot, a Hampden, a Henry, an Otis, aHancock or an Adams, he refused to stultifyhimself, refused to recant utterances whichhe not only believed to be true but which hewas prepared to prove to be warranted. Andfor this magnificent stand, for this unselfishdevotion to the most sacred cause, which is infact the vital breath of democracy, he has beencondemned. In a