LAD #31: Wilson's Fourteen Points

When Russia pulled out of WWI, President Wilson addressed the serious blow that the Allied Powers sustained when they lost the eastern front of the war. The treaty of Brest-Litovsk allowed the revolution-prone Russians to make a peace with the Central Powers. This effectively led the war towards the British and French. Wilson admired this treaty as a benchmark for the progression of public democracy but also questioned its validity, as Russia made peace with a country and allowed it to keep every inch of occupied territory. To preserve democracy, Wilson argued that it was the United States' duty to join the war and make the world safe for democracy. He wanted to unite the world in order and peace. His points included ending secret treaties, freedom of the seas, colonial self-determination, reacquisition of lost territory, a sanctioned Ottoman port, and a League of Nations.

LAD #30: Schneck v. United States

Schenck was found guilty in the Schneck v. United States ruling, upon three accounts. These accounts included exercising actions in pursuit of a conspiracy, conspiring against the United States, and using the mail system to send items unlawfully. Schenck was a secretary to the Socialist party during WWI and was arrested for printing and distributing anti-war and anti-conscription pamphlets that caused insubordination among drafted men. His pamphlets argued that the Conscription Act and the Selective Service Act were unlawful because they supposedly violated the thirteenth amendment that forbade involuntary servitude. He also attested to the right of people to protest acts like these. He thought it was wrongful for humanity and only benefitted Wall Street's chosen few. When tried, Schneck argued for his right to free speech, however the Supreme Court declared that his actions instigated a clear and present danger to the rights of safe thought to other citizens--similar to shouting "fire" in a theater. In times of war, his actions could cause widespread panic and obstruct peace.