How_Free_Is_Free_Speech__(Schenck_Vs._United_States)

How Free Is Free Speech' (Schenck Vs. United States) Charles T. Schenck was the general secretary of the Socialist party headquarters in Philadelphia. (Schenck vs. United States) He was accused of violating the Espionage Act of 1917, and attempting to cause rebellion in the armed forces. (Landmark Decisions) This was the first time the government had ever put a limit on how free, free speech actually was. (Courtroom Drama) So this leads you to believe, how free exactly, is free speech, and should the government be able to judge what limitations are put on free speech' Charles T. Schenck was the secretary of the Socialist party in Philadelphia. (Schenck vs. United States.) During this time, the party decided to print out 15,000 leaflets to be sent out to new draftees into the United States Army. (Courtroom Drama) These leaflets contained information about how these new draftees should not have to be drafted. They said this law made it so the Constitution of the United States was treated as a “mere scrap of paper” These pamphlets told the draftees they were citizens with rights, not subjects. (Schenck’s Pamphlet) After these leaflets were distributed, Schenck was charged with “conspiring to cause a rebellion and insubordination in the armed forces.” He was also schenck, drama, courtroom, leaflets, free, defense, speech, government, first, united, time, states, said, out, limit, landmark, holmes, forces, draftees, decisions, armed, stated, sending, rights, new, amendment, should, rebellion, put, proof, present, philadelphia, party, part, pamphlets, documents