INCITING TO VIOLENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3566, 18 July 1922, Page 28

INCITING TO VIOLENCE.

WELLINGTON, July 10. As a sequel to a lecture at the Communist Hall on June 4, Alexander Galbraith, the seleoeid Communist candidate for the Napier seat, was charged at the Magistrates’ Court with inciting to violence in an address on “ r lhe Downfall of Capitalism.” S. Macassey for the prosecution said that tne proceedings were taken under section 2 of tile Police Offenders Act, the penalty under which was three months’ imprisonment, or a fine of £IOO. The address was delivered by defendant before 50 or 60 people. Detective-sergeant Lewis and Constable Watts were present at the meeting and made notes. The Crown relied on defendant’s attack on capitalism, and his advocacy of force, as would be shown by the evidence adduced. Detective Lewis deposed that defendant said that the workers could not be expected to draw a straight line and walk it like a tight rope. The workers were offered the ballot box next. What good was that? Religion was the enemy of the workers The parsons talked of the brotherhood of men, but all that was rot. Peaceful methods were no good at all. Angels said of the Paris Commune: “We must break shake, and burst the whole svstem.” Referring to Russia Galbraith said that they had not stuck to constitutional methods there. They had got what they wanted. The capitalist class there had been corrupted and they would have to corrupt them here before they could succeed. A Minister here, Galbraith had continued, had granted permission for the workers to say anything, provided they did not advocate violence. That, Galbraith said, was no use, and the only remedy they had was to go to the ballot box and put in a party that might be termed an excretion of the" work - ing class. He said that it was not likely that the capitalists were going to say: “You take it, I’ve had a good time,” and then hand it over. Recently a friend of his had been speaking to him about what could be gained by constitutional methods. Tie had told him that very little had been gained that way. When lie spoke like that he did not mean them “To grab g sword and go down the street looking for Massey,” because people would only say the Communists were causing more trouble. There would be a street rabble that would do more harm than good. A blind man in the audience, witness continued, rebuked Galbraith, and said he should not speak to the people there in the hall, but should go out into the street and speak to the oeople there. The blind man said that Galbraith should speak to the people in a language they could understand. After evidence had been taken the hearing of the case was adjourned till tomorrow. July 11. At the City Police Court, the case against Alexander Galbraith, who was charged with inciting to violence in an address entitled “The Downfall of Capitalism,” was concluded. The defence was a denial of the charge. It was contended that the lecture was a scientific one, and there was, no intention to excite to violence. Mr F. Tv. Hunt. S.M., said he had no doubt the accused herd used the words which brought about the prosecution, and he was satisfied that the speech encouraged lawlessness. Galbraith was probably carried away by his subject. and he did not put a curb on his tongue in order to comply with the law. The Magistrate said : “If these speeches are used indiscriminately it is very difficult to keep the peace. These sort of speeches may fall upon ill-balanced minds, and result in crimes of violence. Such a person might bring a revolver and shoot a capitalist, for instance. It would benefit the country that these sort of things should stop. Had the speech been made on the street he would not have had the slightest hesitation in sending the accused to gaol. if accused aspired to be a maker of laws lie should first learn to abide by them.” A fine o: £25 was imposed, with costs, in default two months' imprisonment