Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-14
Minority Report of Senate
mmittee Demands
Complete Hearing.
CHARGE VIOLATION
OF ESPIONAGE ACT
Further Proceedings Demanded TO Ex-
poriate, censure or Cause Expulsion
From Senate Of Wisconsin Leader
Majority Report Recommended Pro-
eeedines Be Droppsd-MinorityS Says
Evidence Would Convict.

W dSnlnS tOn Lee. lf.-furthcr pro
ceedings in the case Of Senator Robert
NJ. LaFollette, OF Wisconsin. looking to
his exoneration. censure or expulsion
from the senate, as the facts may war
rant. are recommended in a minority
report from the senate privilege and
elections committee. presented in the
senate today by Senator Pomerene. of
Ohio, democrat, chairman OF the COM
mittee.
The report charges the Wisconsin
senator with violation Of the espionage
act in alleged misstatements in his
address before the nonpartisan league
at st. Paul. Mimi, Sept. 20, 1917. The
report opposes the pending resolution
recommending that the proceedings be
dropped.
The misstatements alleged to have
been made by Senator LaFollette are
declared by the report to be a "sland-
er" upon the government and sufficient
cause for conviction in criminal pro-
ceedings.
Complete Hearing Is Asked.
Specifically the report urges that
full and complete hearing" be ordered
by the senate to the end:
'F1rst-That the senator from Wis
consin can be completely exonerated II
the testimony justified it.
"Second-That he may be expelled
If the testimony justities it.
"Third--That the senate may pass
vote of censure or administer such
other punishment as the-~tes. .imony
may justify"
This is our duty" the report de-
clares which we owe to the. senator
from Wisconsin. to the United States
senate itself and to the public. More
we ought not to do and less we can
not be expected to do.
t. Say Evidence Would Convict.
I'VE do not say in the present state
of the record" the minority report says
that Senator LaE'ollette should be ex-
PEELED from the senate or that he should
be convicted of a criminal offense under
the espionage act: but we do say that
applying the principles of criminal law
grand jury inquiring into the case
with no other evidence before it than
the speech itself and the facts in this
report recited. would have been justified
in returning an indictment against him
for violation Of the espionage law. And
we further say that with this evidence
and none other before a petit jury. il
would have been justified in returning
verdict of guilty under this section
of the statute and no court would have
disturbed it.
"If there is any rea asonable expla ma :
tion which can be made Of these utter
ances which would tend to prove an in
nocent purpose such explanation ought
to be given to the end that no injustice
may be done and that it may not be
charged that the United States senate
passes over wrongful speech when 9th
ers are criminally prosecuted for Of
tense in our judgment, no less severe
Ignored Causes Of War.
Senator LaFollette in his st. Pau
speech. the report declares. "wholly ig-
nored the real causes which led to the
war" and says that these statements
could not have been made by accident
or slip Of the tongue because the same
thought il not the very same language
is reported several times within the
space ofa few minutes.
"The constitutional right Of freedom
Of speech can not be pleaded in de-
Tense" the report continues. "Freedor'
Of speech never justified the slander OF
the cha stity Of n woman. or the honor
OF a man, or the cause Of country
when in the throes Of the most terrible
war ever wa ged"