The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-12-15
MINORITY REPORT ON
LA TOILETTE URGES
HEAR|NG G BY SENATE
POMERENE CHARGES SENA-
TOR WITH VIOLATION
OF ESPIONAGE ACT

Washington, Dee. ~. - Further
proceedings in the case OF Senator
Robert NJ. La Toilette OF WiScon-
sin, looking to his eNoneration,
cenSure or expulsion from the SEN
ate as the facts may warrant, are
recommended in minority re
port from the senate privileges and
elections committee, presented IN
the senate today by Senator Pom
creme OF Ohio, democrat, chairman
| of the committee.
The report, signed by Chairman
Pomerenc,, charges the Wisconsin
senator with violation OF the es-
pionage act by alleged misStatc-
mcnts in his address before the
| Nom partisan League at st. Paul,
Mimi, Sept. 20, 9l7. The report
opposes the pending resolution rec
ommending that the proceedings be
/ dropped.
Full Hearing Urged
The miSstatementS alleged to have
been made by Senator La Toilette
are declared by the report TO be a
Islander" upon the government and
sufficient cause for conviction in
criminal proceedings. Speciflcal-
ly, the report urges that a "iull and
complete" hearing be ordered by
the senate, to the end:
"First-That the senator from
Wisconsin can be completely cN-
onerated if the testimony justitieS
it.
"Second-That he may be cXpell-
ed il the testimony justified 1t.
"Third-That the senate may pass
vote OF censure or administer such
other punishment as the testimony
may justify.
This is our duty, the report de-
clares, which we owe to the SEN
ator from Wisconsin, to the United
States senate itself and to the pub
lie. More we ought not to do and
less we cannot be expected to do.
1--WE do not say in the present
state of the record the minority
report says. that Senator La Fol
lette should be expelled from the
senate or that he should be convict
ed OF a criminal oftense, under the
espionage act; but we do say that
applving OF criminal law, grand
iurv inquiring into the case Win
no other evidence before 1t than
the speech itself and the facts as
in this report recited, would have
been justified in returning an III
dictmcnt against him tor violation
OF the espionage law. And we FUR
then say that with this evidence and
none other before petit jury, ii
would have been justified in return
ing a verdict OF guilty under this
section OF the statute and no court
would have disturbed it.
Justice Should Be Done
III there is any reasonable eNp'a
nation which can be made OF these
utterances which would tend to
prove an innocent purpose, such
explanation ought to be given TO the
end that no injustice may be done
and that it may not be charge
that the United States senate passes
lightly over wrongful speech when
others are criminally prosecuted for
ofiense. in our judgment, no less
severe
Senator La Toilette in his st. Paul
speech, the report declares, "who-
ly ignored the real causes which
led to the war" and the report
says that these statements could
not have been made by accident
or slip of the tongue, because the
same thought, ii not the very Ian
gauge. is reported several times in
the space OF tew minutes"
The constitutional reght OF Tree
dom OF speech cannot be pleaded
in defense the report continues.
"Freedom OF speech never justified
the SANDER Of the chastity OF wo-
man or the honor OF a man or the
cause OF country when IN the
throes OF the most terrific war ever