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Old-Fashioned Americanism Ti BIGGEST JSSUE in the 1948 cam- paign is 2 return to old-fashioned Americanism. . ' By. old-fashioned Americanism 1 mean the right to express an opinion without fear of lesing your job, your citizenship, or your business. By old-fashioned Americanism 1 mean the spirit of Irish-born congress- man Matthew Lyon of Vermont, who, in 1798, said just what he thought of John Adams, even though he was jailed for it. It was Matthew Lyon in jail in 1798 who prepared the way for Thomas Jefferson and the destruc- tion of the Federalist Party. . The un-Americanism ef the Fed- eralist Party in 1798 is expressing it- self in the US today to frighten millions of American citizens. Head- quarters for this un-Americanism are the Department of Justice, the Com- "mittee on Un-American Activities of the House of Representatives, and businessmen who mse economic com- . pulsion to interfere with the free ex- pression of political views by em- ployees and business associates. As I have fraveled back and forth across the country I have been tald many instances of violation of the spirit of the First Amendment. Young men have been fired because an em- ployer saw them wearing a Wallace button. Hundreds of businessmen have given anonymously to our Cause be- cause they feared they would be dis- criminated against by their associates if their names were known. Stealthily, over the United States black fear is creeping. So far it doeso’t shoot people. its method is to stifle every progressive thought by subtle terrorism. - The two divisions of the Depart-— ment of Justice which spread this ter- ror snest insidiously are the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. A foreigner (this is an ac- tual ease) applies for his final pepers. He is highly educated and progressive, a church member, eertginly eet a Com- munist. One of the questions asked by. the naturalization officials to this par- ticular man is, “Do you know Henry Wallace?” He hed hoped to york for me in the campaign. He has not yet will get them, But will he work for Wallace? He will not. He will be afesid of endangering his eitizenship. He knows what is happening to fersign-born labor leaders. Se he will lie lew and vote for me, but his trily great tal- ents will not be used in the campaign. The creeping terror has stifled his creative abilities with fear. That is what the government of the United States has done, This man will never make an Issue ef it, nor da | want to embarrass him. But I do want to start en informal Freedom League. I want everyene who has a specific instance of how the fed- eral government or businessmen have abridged our freedom to write in to the Freedom League at Room 1405, _ 40 East Forty-ninth Street, New York 17. Give the name of the man who put pressure on you 6c who asked ap un- American question. Did the investigator ask whether you read the New Republic, the Nation, PM oc Reader's Scope? Did he ask if you knew Henry Wallace or Glen Taylor or Jo Davidson or Albert Einstein? What other questions were asked designed to make you feel like a criminal if you entertained a pfo- gressive idea ot knew a progressive American? We shall aot use your name witheut your permission. If you feel ft is really necessary, don’t even sign your name when you send us the in- formation. —_ Many minorities have had to band . _ League of the B'nai B'rith is an out- standing example of such an organi- gation. The time has come for those ef us who believe in old-fashioned Americanism to fight back. The first . step is to get the names of the men in the government who have been using unfair methods of investigation. If you write to us without signing your name, please be sure to describe just what the unfair methods were, and give all details. it is my confenfion thet the De partment of Justice has no more right to ask prospective eitizens if they read the New Republic than if they read Basiness Week. It is no more just to imply that the New Republic is subversive than to imply that Business Week is mubver- sive. When investigators spread fear and terror among those who are work- ing politically to overthrow the pres- ent Administration by votes, - govern- ment is stepping outside of its consti- tutional functions. We shall oppose such extraconstitutional functioning by using old-fashioned American meth- ods. The Freedom League must also prepare to expose businessmen who employ econemic coercion to control ‘the political, activity of employees. It is true that the best work on behalf of unprotected minorities is often done quietly; in some cases publicity de- feats the purpose of justice. Future de- velopments, and the response to this article, will determine the extent to which we shall work publicly or shall exert our pressure quietly and behind the scenes. a We have heard a lot of talk about the Freedom Train, with its precious documents from the past. How about making freedom live? pogether to protect themselves agrinst