Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-04-09
WrangIe Over Use of Such
Words as 'WiIfuI,' Intend
4 ed or Calculated in Law
Intended to Stop Seditlon,
EFFORTS FAIL TO BRING
ABOUT IMMEDIATE VOTE
-wching at CoIIinsviIIe Is
Condemn ed; Legitimate
Criticism of President Not
Prevented By. Measure,
lsr DoEnrss ,ouan.l srserAl ,sAsso wl..1


Washington, April S.--Another day
of lively senate debate on the sedition
bill which would punish disloyal ut
terances and attempts to hinder the
army draft and Liberty Bond CAM
paigns, resulted in the adoption of
amendments designed to meet the OBJ
lection of senators that the measure
might prevent legitimate criticism in
the war.
The changes were In the clause
penalizng "disloyal. profane, scurril-
lous abusive or contemptuous Lam
guage,' directed at the Storm of gov
ernment, constitution, flag or uni
forms Of the nation and calculated to
bring them into contempt or scorn."
Senator Thomas of Colorado Of
fered an amendment to provide that
such acts should be t'wilful," and
Senator Borah of Idaho proposed. to
substitute the word INTENDED for
'ealeuiated: There, were objections
that conviction would be difficult 10
secure under such language but both
amendments were approved, that of
Senator Borah by vote of "a to 2s
with partisan lines disregarded.
Quibblc Over PhraseOlogy
An amendment, urged by Senator
Hardwick of Georgia, which led to
controversy between the Georgia SEN
ator and Senator Poindexter of Wash
ington, proposed that the words
cause of the" should be eliminated
from the latters amendment penaliz-
ing those favoring 'the cause of the
German empire"
1t was rejected without record
vote, after the two senators became
so pointed in their language that the
chair called them to order Senator
Hardwick insisted that millions of
people honestly differ ON the cause
of tho war.
Senator PoindeXter retorted that
the Georgia senator had not par
ticularly supported the war and cit
ed his opposition to the draft law.
Senator sherman, of Illinois, de-
nounced the recent lynching of Ger
man Mt Coliinsyille. Ill.,, as a dis
grace accomplished "by a drunken
mob masquerading under the guise
OF patriotism and criticised town
officials for failing to protect the
mob's victim
They Quibblc some More.
He urged that language of the bill
penalizlng "contemptuous and sour
rillous criticism" should apply to dis
loyal utterances only, and said Assist
ant Secretary Of Labor Post and
George Creel, chairman of public in
formation, In the past had written ar
ticles severely criticising the Ameri-
can form of government which would
be punishable under the measure as
now drawn.
Senator Galinger, the republican
leader, also urged that the prohibt
ton should be limited to disloyal ut
terances and suggested that as drawn
the clause might be construed to pre-
vent legitimate criticism of the pres
ident In the approaching political
campaign Later he introduced sub
stitute bill embracing his ideas but
retaining substantially all other pro-
Senator France, Of MARYLAND also
offered an amendment providing that
the bill should not limit the liberty
or impair the right of "any individ-
ual to publish or speak what is true.
with good motives and for justifiable
ends"
Another unsuccessful effort was
made during the day by Senator
IOverman of North Carolina. in
charge of the measure. to secure
unanimous consent to fix a time for
a final vote. Objections Immediate
~ followed.
Referring to the discussion Satur-
day of Colonel Roosevelt's statement
that the bill would prohibit criticism
Of the PRESIDENT Senator Myers OF
Montana said neither the pending bill
nor the one proposed by him last
August would prevent legitimate crit
icism and that even If the words
president of the United States"
eliminated from the original draft,
now were reinserted. such criticism
would not be affected. He added,
however:
Il believe that when we are en-
gagged in war, anybody who uses vile
language against the president ought
to be punished. l. believe 1t is Just as
offensive and disloyaI language
against the president as the same
kind Of language against the form
of government. I believe it would be
better bill if the president were In
cluded."