Salt Lake Telegram | 1951-01-19 | Page 6 | There is a Limit to Right of Free Speech

There Is s a Limit to Right o of Free Fee Speech What seemed to us a very important decision was handed down by the United States supreme court the other day It involved the matter of free speech But for once the decision did not tal take e the usual line of upholding the individuals individual's right to say what he pleases The court by a six to three decision said there is isa isa isa a limit to the right of free speech that speech that it does not extend to the right to make a speech which in fact is incitement to riot Police who arrested a student making making making mak mak- ing a political speech on a street in Syracuse New York said the court were not interfering with free speech but exercising their power and duty to preserve order We Ve think this is a vital point all too often overlooked by courts and other defenders of our cherished American freedoms It is a particularly important point today when Communists seek to wrap themselves in the protection of our flag and our constitution while they rail at plot against and incite violent attack upon that flag and constitution This newspaper believes firmly in the right of free speech But it is not an unlimited right It is the right to free speech within the bounds of decency and law and order Free speech doesn't include in include include in- in clude the right to mouth obscenities on ona a public corner It doesn't include the right to vilify and slander your neighbor neighbor neighbor neigh neigh- bor from a soapbox It doesn't include I the right to set up a platform in the middle of Second South and Main and harangue a crowd while traffic comes to toa a halt There are limits to free speech And we think one of the limits certainly is the incitement to riot the preaching of violence the advocacy of a conspiracy to overthrow democracy itself Even a afree afree afree free society has the right to protect itself against the apostles of lawlessness of violence and tyranny