New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-17
The La Toilette Case

tee of the Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections seems to have got a
wrong start Mr.. La Toilette has fur-
nished the subcommittee with an author
ized version Of his ST. Paul speech. The
Wisconsin Senator seems TO be perfectly
willing to stand, in all essentials, by what
he was reported to have said. lie has a
keen appreciation Of the publicity value Of
the present proceeding, and would be the
last man in the world to let slip an oppor-
tunitv to pose for what he considers a
gorgeous political martyrdom.
That being the case, 1t seems to us
tactical error on the subcommittee part
TO begin by trying TO establish the accu-
racv or inaccuracy Of Mr.. La Follette's
admitted statements. The latter made
some unpleasant references TO incidents
preceding and following the Lusltania
massacre. If the subcommittee is going to
nrove their falsity by calling President
Wilson. Secretary Lansing and eX-Secre-
tarv BRYAN TO the witness stand and al
lowing Mr.. La Folette's counsel to cross
examine them Washington may have an
other piouant sensation. But what will be
gained thereby? The real thing to remem-
her is that so far as the Wisconsin Sen
ator's liability to expulsion is concerned
II doesn't matter at all whether the state
ments he made at st. Paul were or were
not accurate
In his speech in the Senate on the last
- II a EOllpftp CITED
MANY instances of free and even bitter
criticism of this countrys motives IN en-
tering and prosecuting former foreign
wars. The Mexican War was denounced
bv Webster and Clay. James Russell
Lowell filed The Biglow Papers with
scathing invective against our Mexican
adventure. What Mr.. La Toilette is say
ing now is mild compared with what
dozens of public men were saying from
1916 to 1S4S.
Yet il would be a great mistake on the
subcommittee part to accept Mr. La Fol
lette's historical parallel and TO put his
case on a par with Clay's or Webster 5.
We had freedom Of speech and OF the
press during the Mexican War We have
surrendered that freedom now, under the
nressure Of military necessity. The Senate
helped a couple of months ago to pass a
law which gave the Postmaster General OF
the United States the power to suppress
any newspaper uttering seditious senti-
ments. and which made him an absolute
iudge of what was or was not seoltlous
He has ruled that it is seditious to say that
the United States got into the war with
Germany wrong" or to disparage IN any
way the motives with which we are max
ing our fight to break down Germany'S
power.
Dozens of newspapers have already beer
practically forced out of circulation I'M
der this ruling. Patriotic citizens are
not complaining about that But if the
Senate thinks it wise to put such re-
striction on the press it can have no ex
cuse for not extending that restriction &c
its own members.
When a seditious newspaper Is hailed
before the Postoffce Department no time
is wasted in trying to ascertain whether
its sedtious statements are or are not
well substantiated That is entirely beside
the point SO long as they are seditious
il is immaterial whether they are wholly
mistaken or are supported by some ap'
pearance of half-truth. The more out
rageously false they are the less danger
Gus they are.
So with the utterances of politicians
The Senate has clearly debarred itself
from dealing with its seditious members
on any other basis than that on which the
PostofIice Department with its consent
now deals with seditious newspapers
What is sauce for the goose should be
sauce for the gander 1t is, therefore
equally inappropriate for Mr.. La Toilette
10 seek to escape discipline by citing cases
of extreme license of speech on the part
of public men in the past and for the Sen
ate subcommittee to hamper its investiga
ton by first determining whether Mr.. La
Follettes seditious utterances were FAC
curate" or inaccurate
The Senate has ample power to deal witt
any of its members whose conduct offend:
il. Mr.. La Toilette may be expelled with
cut any regard whatever to the technicali
ties of a court trial. The Postofice De
partment condemns sedtious newspapers
outright. A seditious Senator may also be
elected without circumlocution or cere-
mony.
What the subcommittee needs most &c
keep in mind is that its proceeding is not
and should not be, judicial one. On tech
nicalities and American precedents the
Wisconsin Senator might easily be able to