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Date Original
1918 May 17
Description
Little Rock city ordinance issued in May 1918 making either written or spoken disloyalty or sedition a misdemeanor crime.
Transcription
Ordinance No. 2497
an ordinance making either written or
spoken disloyalty or sedition a misde-
meanor and fixing the punishment there-
for.
Whereas, the United States is now at war
to establish the freedom of nations and to
secrure for individuals the enjoyment of free
government, a war that requiresfor its suc-
cess the united sympathy and support of
our people; and,
Whereas, Any disloyalty or sedition, either
spoken or written, tends to hamper our gov-
ernment and those activities associated with
it in the prosecution of the war, and so to
offend all loyal and patriotic citizens as to
cause a breach of the peace.
therefore, Be It Ordained by the City Coun-
cil of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas:
Section 1. If any person shall, at any
time or place within this city, during the
time the United States of America is at
war with any other nation, use any lan-
guage in the presence and hearing of another
person, or commit to writing and printing,
or both writing and printing, by letters,
words, signs, figures or any other manner,
and in any language, anything of and con-
cerning the United States of America, the
entry or the continuance of the United States
of American in the war, or of and concern-
ing the army, navy or marine corps of the
United States of America, or of and concern-
ing any flag, stadard, color or ensign of
the United States of America, or any imita-
tion thereof, or the uniform of any officer
of the army or navy of the United States,
or of and cerning any individual or or-
ganization who is authoritatively engaged
in the war work, which language is disloyal
or abusive in character and calculated to
bring in disrepute the United States of
America, the entry or the continuance of
the United States of America in the war,
or the army, navy or marine corps of the
United States of America or any flag, stand-
ard, color or ensign of the United States
of America, or any imitation thereof, or
the uniform of any officer of the army or
navy of the United States, or any indi-
vidual or organization who is authorita-
tively engaged in war work, or is of such
nature as reasonable to be calculated to pro-
voke a breach of the peace, if said in the
presence and hearing of a citizen of the
United States, or of an ally of the United
States, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall be punished by a fine of not less than
$10 nor more than $100 or by imprison-
ment in the city jail for not less than 10
days nor more than one year, or by both
fine and imprisonment.
Sec. 2. Any person who shall within
this city publicly or privately mutilate, de-
face, defile, defy, tramp upon, or cause
contempt upon, either by words or acts, any v flag, standard or ensign of the United
States, or that of any of its officers or on
any imitation of either of them, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall
be punished by a fine of not less than $10
nor more than $100, or by imprisonment in
the city jail, for not less than 10 days nore
more than one year, or by both fine and im-
prisonment.
Sec. 4. That all ordinances in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed and this ordi-
nance shall take effect and be in force from
and after its passage.
Passed April 8, 1918
Approved:
CHARLES E. TAYLOR,
CHAS. F. MARTIN JR., Mayor
City Clerk
Physical Description
Microfilm
Subjects
World War I, 1914-1918; Freedom of speech; Sedition
Contributor
Arkansas Democrat
Geographical Area
Arkansas
Language
English
Identifier
MFILM NEWS 000432 Roll 85
Collection
Newspaper microfilm collection
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
"Ordinance No. 2497," Arkansas Democrat, May 17, 1918, Newspaper microfilm collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of this lesson plan supplemental material for instructional purposes is allowed without prior written permission. For further information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
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