The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-11-21
POINDEXTER MOTION
AR0USES DEPARTMENT
department of Justice 10 Move When
Senator Demands Report and Rea-
son for Slipshod Policy.

Washington, Nov. 19.-The repub-
llcan publicity association, through it's
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne. ,Jr..
today gave out the following state
ment from its Washington headouar-
ters:
Long delay though it was, the
awakening of Attorney General Pal
mer will bring a feeling of relief to
the nation. All through these critical
months when it seemed that bolshe-
Vlsm had become so widespread and
so powerful as to be a menace to the
government itself, the people of the
country have waited and watched for
some definite action on the part of
those officials at Washington who are
vested with power and supplied with
necessary to enforce law, main
tain order, and protect the lives, lib
critics and property of the good peo-
pie OF America. But there was no
action; merely words. There were as
sertions of what the department of
justice intended to do; there were
vague press announcements Of some
undescribed activity in the department.
Then there was a long pause and ces-
sation of publicity. The country felt
that once more it had been a victim
of that watchful waiting policv so
characteristic of the Wilson admins
tration.
"But there came an awakening
when, on October ID, Senator Miles
Poindexter of Washington introduced
IN the senate a resolution calling up
on the attorney general for informa-
ton as to the reason why there had
been no prosecution of men who had
tried to bring about forcible overthrow
of the government, who had preached
anarchy and sedition, who had advised
defiance of law not only by word of
mouth but by printing and %circulat-
ing pamphlets, circulars, stickers and
dodgers, and who had advised unlaw-
full obstruction of industry, destruc-
ton of property rights and interfer-
ence with business. The resolution al
so called upon the attorney general
for the reason why no steps had been
taken for the arrest and deportation of
aliens who had committed the acts
enumerated in the preceding para-
graph of the resolution.
"1n support of his resolution, SEN
ator Poindexter quoted a section of the
criminal code which has been in force
a great many years providing that
whoever incites rebellion or insurrec-
ton against the authority of the Unit
ed States or the laws thereof shall be
imprisoned not more than ten years
or fined not more than $10,OOO,' etc.,
and asserted that there is overwhelm-
ing evidence of the violation of that
statute-evidence of the kind required
by the courts to support a conviction.
The senate adopted the Poindexter
resolution.
"Within three weeks after the adop-
ton of that resolution, there was evil
dence of an awakening in the depart
ment of justice. Words gave way to
action. Confronted with the neces-
sity of ultimately reporting upon it's
action or inaction, the department be-
gan to establish a basis for a report
that would not be wholly a confession
Of incompetency and neglect of duty.
The report was delayed until there
would be something to report that
would show some degree of activity
in the enforcement of the lava pur-
pose for which the people of the coun-
try have appropriated money without
stint.
"The awakening of the department
an accomplishment that brings great
and some reinsurance to
the country. Whether the department
will proceed with its duty and put
behind the bars, remains to
be seen. 1t must be admitted that,
judging by the past, there is no ba-
sis for confidence, unless, perchance,
or some other senator shall
continue to introduce resolutions call
ing upon the department to make fire.
quent reports Of it's action or inaction.
For the present activity of the depart
ment, the country is evidently indebt-
ed to the virile senator from the vir-
lie state of Washington"
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