Chautauqua County Mock Trial Competition

The task of this Court to maintain a balance between liberty and authority is never done, because new conditions today upset the equilibriums of yesterday. The see-saw between freedom and power makes up most of the history of governments, which, as Bryce points out, on a long view consists of repeating a painful cycle from anarchy to tyranny and back again. The Court's day-to-day task is to reject as false, claims in the name of civil liberty which, if granted, would paralyze or impair authority to defend existence in our society, and to reject as false claims in the name of security which would undermine our freedoms and open the way to oppression. There are the competing considerations involved in judging any measures which government may take to suppress or disadvantage its opponents and critics.

American Communications Association v. Douds, 339 U.S. 382 (1950) at 445