Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-14
POMERENE MOVES
TO HAVE SENATE
TRY LA TOILETTE
Ohio Democrat Declares Wis
consin Man Is Guilty of
Slandering Nation

Washington. Dec. IA. - Further
proceedings in the case of Senator
Robert NJ. LaFollette, of Wisconsin,
looking to his eXoneration. censure
or expulsion from the Senate as the
facts may warrant. are recommended
in a minority report from the Senate
Privileges and Elections Committee
presented in the Senate to-day by
Senator Pomerene, of Ohio, Demo-
crat, chairman of the committee.
The report. signed by Chairman
Pomerene, charges the Wisconsin
Senator with violation of the espion-
age act by alleged misstatements in
his address before the Nonpartisan
League at st. Paul. September 20,
1917. The report opposes the pend
ing resolution recommending that
the proceedings be dropped.
The misstatements alleged to have
been made by Senator LaFollette are
declared by the report TO be Sian
der" upon the Government and sufii-
cient cause for conviction in criminal
proceedings.
|. Urges Complete Probe
Specifically. the report urges that
full and complete" hearing be
ordered by the Senate, to the end:
First, that the Senator from Wis
consin can be completely eXonerated
if the testimony justifies it.
Second, that he may be expelled
if the testimony justifies it.
Third, that the Senate may pass
a vote of censure or administer such
other punishment as the testimony
may justify.
This is our duty" the report de-
clares. "a duty which we owe to the
Senator from Wisconsin to the
United States itself and to the public.
More we ought not do and less we
cannot be expected to do"
We do not say in the present
state of the record" the minority
report says, that Senator LaFollette
should be expelled 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, a
grand jury inquiring into the case,
with no other evidence than the
speech itself and the facts as in this
report recited. would have been JUS
titled in returning an indictment
dEalnSL MIN lOF. NlOldllOll VI tiiS
espionage act. And we further say
that with this evidence, and none
other, before a petit jury, it would
have been justified in returning a
verdict of guilty under this section
of the statute and no court would
have disturbed it.
IF there is any reasonable eXpla-
nation which can be made of these
utterances which would tend to
prove an innocent purpose, such eX-
planation ought to be given to the
end that no injustice may be done
and that it may not be charged that
the United States passes lightly over
wrongful speech, when others are
criminally prosecuted for offense, in
our Judgment no less severe
Not Misquotcd, Says Report
Senator LaFollette in his st. Paul
speech. the report declares, wholly
ignored the real cause which led to
the war, " and says that these
statements could not have been made
by accident or slip of the tongue be-
cause the same thought, if not the
very same language, is reported sew
eral times within the space of n few
minutes.
THE constitutional right of free
dom of speech cannot be pleaded in
defense" the report continues. Free.
dom of speech never justiiies the
slander of the chastity of a woman
or the honor of q man or the cause
of a country when in the throes OF
the most terrific war ever waged.'