ABSTRACT
Speech may be fought with speech. Falsehoods and fallacies must be exposed, not suppressed, unless there is not sufficient time to avert the evil consequences of noxious doctrine by argument and education. Congress here directed its efforts against conduct by Communists—the calling of political strikes by Communist officers of labor unions. The First Amendment would have no bearing at all on this congressional action if this action did not, incidentally, discourage "the lawful exercise of political freedoms". Congress has found that Communist officers of unions will involve their unions in strikes when such strikes will serve the interests of the USSR. Congress may attempt to prevent such strikes by requiring the non-Communist affidavit from officers of unions as a condition prior to affording unions the facilities of the National Labor Relations Board and other rights under the Labor Management Relations Act.
