The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1920-10-08
HAS
PUT IT UP
TO PALMER
FOR PROOF
MISREPRESENTATION
ON POLITICAL PRISONERS
IN ANSWERING lAABOR.S
AMNESTY DEMAND

lie american -N;iNIl -lAlUcIllSS
Union has challenged Attorney Cen
eral Palmer's statement made on
Sept. 18th to delegations from the
American Federation OF Labor and
the Socialist party that there are on
lv 175 Espionage Act prisoners, and
that no prosecutions under that act
have been begun since the armis-
tice. Officers of the union have
written the Attorney General, charg-
ing that he has failed to include a
large number of prisoners and cit
ing cases to disapproye his declar-
alton on prosecutions since the arm
istice
''AIay we not inquire. the Union
asks, whether or not the following
statements of facts are true:
81. That the figure OF 175, given
by you, fails to include 166 members
of the I. w. w. who were convicted,
among other things. OF conspiring
TO violate the Espionage Act. and
all those persons who have been in
dicted for or convicted Of such vio-
latiOn, but who are at present at
liberty on bail pending trial or ap-
peal.
"2. The report of the Department
Of Justice for the fiscal year ending
June Both, 1919, indicates that 96S
prosecutions under the Espionage
Act, or substantially the same num-
ber as were initiated during the fis-
cal year ending June 30th, 1913,
were commenced during that year
and that 295 prosecutions were un-
disposed of upon that date. The
armistice was signed ON November
11th, 1915. Is 1t not the fact thai
substantial numbers OF these pros.
ecutions were Instituted during the
seven and half months after the
armistice had been signed.
IS. Specifically, that the follow.
ing persons were indicted, and, with
the exception OF the editors of the
Seattle Union Record, tried, for VIC
lation of the Espionage Act after the
signing of the armistice: Morris
Fucker, convicted in Brooklyn, N
Y. in January, for speech made al
Socialist meeting on Nov. goth
1918. Jacob Isaacson, indicted II
New York City in August 1919, TO-
all editorial in the April, 1919 Issue
of magazine called Freedom. Char
les NJ. Steine, William Hotze, ana
Il
ithaca, N. Y, in January 1920 TO
distributing handbills which con
tained what purpored to be dis
cription of conditions in federal pen
al institutions together with ple'
for ageneral amnesty for politica
prisoners. E. b. Ault and ANN
Lonise Strong. editors of the Seattl'
Union Record, indicted in Seattle
WASH, in November, 1919, for edit
orials appearing in that paper.
E. Snyder, editor of the Oaklan'
World, Oakland, CAL, for editorial
appearing in his paper. deplorin
the violation of the constitutions
rights of citizens.
81. On September, IS. 1919, i
response to a letter deploring tn
use OF tne Espionage Act mOutn
after the armistice, Mr.. r. Stewart
Assistant Attorney General wrot
to the director of the National Civ
Liberties Bureau: With referenc
to your statement regarding tn
Espionage Act, l desire to state tha
the Act is enforced not as q matte
of war strategy or war policy, bu
because it is war penal measure
the enforcement of which is the dut
of this department as in the case G
any other penal law. In maxim
this statement, was Mr.. Stewart viz
lating your instructions in regard
the discontinuance of the use of tn
Espionage Act after the armistie
was signed?"
The Union asks the Attorne
General to correct his statement All
to give the public the full facts o
political prisoners.
In a bulletin Just issued by I'll
Union, 1t is estimated that the Il
tai number of federal prisoners. col
victed and either in prison or OF
on appeal bonds, is at present b.
tween 400 and 500.
-NOTE'ER STRAIGHT