The Washington herald., 1918-04-11
SEDITION BILL
PASSES SENATE
WITH CHANGES
Opposition Suddenly Col
lapses to Measure in
Upper House.

Ten minutes before the time set for
limiting debate, opposition to the new
clauses to the "sedition bill'' sud
denly collapsed this afternoon. The
Senate passed the bill without a roll
call
The bill-which is really new sec
tions to the espionage act-was sent
much changed from its original form
back to the House which has already
passed IT.
1t was alleged II was designed to
prevent obstruction to the new lib
erty loan. However. when it appeared
in the Senate 1t, among other things,
punished with a $4,000 fine or twenty
years in jail, criticism of Federal or
State authorities. Senator Knox, of
Pennsylvania, succeeded in having
acts intended to cause resistance to
duly constituted Federal or State au-
thorities" altered to resistance to the
United States or to promote the cause
Of enemies"
The word intended" has been sub
stituted throughout the bill for the
word calculated" and "wilfully" in
serted also. These changes were made
to show intent on the part of the vio-
lator.
Dismissal for DIsIoyaIty.
Senator Jones, of Washington. Of
fered an amendment which was adopt
ed, furnishing by dismissal any gov
ernment employe or official who COM
mits a disloyal act or utters unpatri-
otic language, or who uses abusive
or violent language about the army,
navy or flag.
In connection with this amendment,
Senator Fall, OF New Mexico. tried to
pass an amendment making all Off
cials or employees take a new oath
thirty days after the bill was passed,
or filming them $4,000, or putting them
in Jail for thirty days. He said:
Right here in Washington, there are
thousands of people connected with
war work. who have taken no oath"
1T would be a reproach to the Off
cials and would tell the enemy we fear
these men," said Senator McCumber,
of North Dakota.
The amendment was lost
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts, Of
fered an amendment barring all Ger
man-language newspapers from the
mails unless accompanied by an Eng
Iish translation. He withdrew this on
assurance of King, of Utah, that
present and contemplated laws would
cover the amendment.
"InsuIt' to Loyal Germans.
Fall. of New Mexico. said he would
oppose this amendment because it
did not include all enemy Language
newspapers. And Nelson, of Mime
sofa, said he was opposed because
it was a direct insult to Germans,
the majority of whom are loyal"
Talk of the Philadelphia Tageblatt.
whose editors were recently acquitted
of treason. came up.
Its been barred from the mails.
but it still circulates 1000 COPIES"
said King, of Utah. We ought to
have a law to suppress such disIoyal.
traitorous sheets"
Couldn't the President stop it by
executive order? That was done in
the civil war;" suggested Harding. of
Ohio.
'If he did would he not be accused
Of trying TO suppress freedom of
speech?" replied King.
Undoubtedly" said Poindexter of
Washington. Undoubtedly, by every
spy. traitor, and disloyaI man I'm the
United States. And he would be
lauded to the skies by every loyal
American"
On motion of France. Of Maryland,
an amendment was added, forbidding
the Limitation through the bfIl of the
right to publish or speak what is
true with good motives and justif-
ableness."