Better Make America Safe First

During the First World War, a state passed a law making it a crime to teach or advocate that citizens should not aid the United States in prosecuting the war or should not enlist. Some months later, a speaker at a public meeting in that state told the crowd, among other things, that 'we are going over to Europe to make the world safe for democracy, but I tell you we had better make America safe for democracy first,' and complained that ordinary people had no say in declaring war or in conscription. He was prosecuted under the state law. The defence argued that only Congress could legislate on matters of war and that the law violated the right of free speech.