WARTIME SEDITION IN MONTANA: Here’s the intriguing lead-in on the web site for the Montana Sedition Project: “Imagine going down to your local brewpub or coffee shop. You meet some friends. The talk turns to the war. You criticize the President and his wealthy supporters. Next thing you know, a couple of husky fellows at the next table grab you, hustle you out the door and down to the local police station. You are arrested on a charge of sedition. Within months you are indicted, tried and convicted. The judge sentences you to 5-10 years in prison — and off you go! Think this could never happen? Well, it happened not that long ago — during World War I — to scores of ordinary people in Montana. They discovered very painfully that their free speech rights had been stripped away by the state legislature.” This timely site was created by Clemens C. Work, journalism professor at University of Montana. His new book is “Darkest Before Dawn: Free Speech in the American West.” It documents the 75 men and women convicted of sedition in the state in 1918 and 1919. They all served terms as long as 20 years at the state pen in Deer Lodge. Professor Work's site features photos of these convicted citizens and is seeking more info on their backgrounds, as many seem to have disappeared after release from prison. Who knows -- maybe some of them left Deer Lodge for the anonymity of The Equality State. If you have any info, e-mail Work at clem.work@umontana.edu.
- posted by Michael Shay @ 10:18 AM