Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-14
0PPOSESDR0PP|NG
LAF0LLETTE CASE
Minority Report to Senate
Urges Complete Hearing Of
DisIoyaIty Charges.
EVIDENCE HELD STRONG

Further proceedings in the case Of
Senator Robert NJ La Toilette of Wis
consin, looking to his exoneration.
as the facts may warrant. are recon-
mended In minority report from the
Sepate privileges and elections com
raittee, presented in the Senate today
by Senator Pomerene of Ohio. demo-
crat, chairman Of the committee.
The report charges the Wisconsin
senator with violation Of the espi-
onage act by alleged misstatements
in his address before the Non-Partisan
League at st. Paul. Mimi. September
20, 1917. The report opposes the
pending resolution recommending that
the proceedings be dropped.
The misstatements alleged to have
been made by Senator La Toilette are
declared by the report to be a Sian
der upon the government and sum
cient cause for conviction in criminal
proceedings.
"Complete'' Hearing Urged.
Specifically, the report urges that a
full and complete" hearing be Or
dered by the Senate. to the end:
First, that the senator from Wis
consin can be completely exonerated
if the testimony justifes 1t.
Second, that he may be expelled II
the testimony justifles it.
Third, that the Senate may pass
vote Of censure or administer such
other punishment as the testimony may
SThis 10 our duty" the report de-
clares. at Is q duty which We owe
to the senator from Wisconsin. to the
United states itself and to the pub
lilo. More We ought not +. 90 o.. ana less
sWe do not say in the present state
Of the record" tho minority report
saws. 'that Senator La Toilette should
be expelled from the Senate or that
he should be convicted OF criminal
offense under the espionage act, but
we do say that, applying the princap.e 9I
Of criminal law. grand jury inquir-
ing into the case, with no other evi-
dence before it than the speech IT.
self and the facts as In this report
cited, would have been 1ustlned IN re-
turning an Indictment against him Tor
violation of the espionage age law; th;s Ano ana
dence. and none other, before a petit
Jury, it would have been 5ustihed IN
returnjnr a verdict of guilty under
This secfion of the statute, ana no
cn,,rt would have disturbed 1t.
Would Avoid Injustice.
eff there is any reasonable expla-
nation which can be made Of these
utterantes which would tend OF prove
an innocent purpose such explanation
ought to be given. to the end that no
Injustice may be done and that It
NAV not be charged that the United
states senate passes lightly over wrong.
mi speech, when others are crtminally
prosecuted for offense, in our judgment
Y senator La Toilette. in his st. Paul
sneeoh. the report declares, wholly
Ignored the real causes which led to
the war" and says that these state
ments could not have been made by
accident or slip Of the tongue be
cause the same thought. II not the
yery same language. Is reported sew
eral times within tho space OF rev
minutes" ~..s
Of speech cannot be pleaded In de-
tense" the report continues: Free
dom of speech never justthed the
slander Of the chastity Of q woman
or the honor Of a man, or the cause
Of a country when in the throes OF
tha most terrific war ever waSed.