In today's political speech, there are virtually no limits on what can be said or done. You can lie, you can defame, you can cheat, you can do virtually anything short of committing arson or a capital offense. Such a "blank check" was not always the case here in Washington State as the following Morning Olympian headline in 1916 illustrates:
Image courtesy Washington State Library
According to the article, "Paul R. Haffer was found guilty of libel and defamation of character when he said that George Washington drank more liquor than was good for him and used occasional profanity." Haffer also said that Washington was a "slaver". Haffer was fined and spent 1 month in jail.
Since all of Haffer's observations about George Washington appear to have been quite correct, truth was apparently not the criteria for whether he was guilty or innocent of the charges. As it turns out, Haffer was an avowed socialist during a period when true "patriots" were afraid of the socialist wave. Thank goodness we don't face this kind of politics today. But on the other hand it sure is hard to embrace something as ugly as the state of politics we now have.
For a more complete description of the Haffer case, follow this link to Washington State Library's Blog Between the Lines.
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