The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-02-16
A KNOw-NoTHING ATTORNEY
(From Harvey's Weekly.)

The attorney general is his own
worst advocate. He is his own worst
apologist. He comes perilously near
to being his own worst accuser. His
recent appearance before congress
sional committee was an astounding |
exhibition of incompetence and I'M ;
fitness. He put on bold front OF |
challenging investigation, and was
able to report a vast volume of work
performed by his department. But
when he was confronted with di-
rect question concerning some Of the
most important doings of his office,
and concerning those very doings
which have for months past been
most discussed and called into ques-
ton, he was fain to take refuge IN
the baby-act plea, 81 don't know"
That was his answer to questions as
to his authority for his conduct to-
ward aliens under the espionage act.
He did not know; it would be neces-
sary to ask some of his subordinates.
This, we say, is the worst feature
ofof his case; thus far. The acute
controversy between him and Mr..
Samuel Untermyer remains to be
threshed out, with a prospect of some
uncommohly interesting results. But
there is no more threshing out to be
done when he himself confessed his
ignorance of the very things which
above all others he ought to know.
The proceedings in question were so
unusual and so extreme in character
that it should have been inconceivable
that he would entrust the direction to
them to anybody but himself, or that
he would permit any subordinate tc
conduct them until he himself had
secured ali possible information con
corning them and knew precisely
. what authority there was for them
More than that, the course of his of
. flee was so promptly and vigorously
challenged, not only by lawyers o.
the highest standing but also by
. Judges of the federal courts, that i
I: it had been adopted by some of hi
. underlings without his knowledge, h
: should surely have looked into it il
: the most thorough manner, and hav
/. ascertained what authority there wa
. for it and so been able to justify II
F. After all this lapse of time, and al
: the controversy there has been, t
|: say that he knows nothing about
is the most discreditable admissio
that could be made.
II 1t is preposterous, of course, flo
| MIR. Palmer to say that the com
/ plants of oppression and what nc
| which have been made against hiI
emanate from radicals and Bolshevi:
sympathizers.. If that were true
| would not dispose of the matter. Tt
| question concerning charges is nc
who makes them, but whether the
are true. But in fact that reflectio
! upon his accusers is not true. Tt
eminent lawyers and university pr
| fessors who have joined in arraigl
ing him are not Bolshevists, M
| Bolshevist sympathizers.. Certainl
! Judge Anderson, Of the federal cou
in Boston, does not fall under TIL
description. Not in spite of but b
- cause of their source, the charg,
: against him are deserving of mo
: serious consideration.
Il The manner of their Investigate,
II is of interest. 1t IS said that t.
Il inquest will not be conducted by
II congressional committee, but by t
new attorney general, after t
II fourth of March. That would be /
miniscent of the old time system
II Cuba, when every new governor W
specially commissioned, as the fiji
of all his duties, to investigate-aft
the fashion of a criminal trial
administration of his predecess
However it may be done, the depa
ment of justice must in some way
freed from the suspicion and the
= proach which now rest upon it.
would be a most welcome thing
Mr.. Palmer himself 20 vindicate
administration, and to prove to
nation that his department has ]
y been guilty of oppression, of GRIMM
rrovocation, CT denial of justice,
- of any of tho detestable practit
~ which have been charged against
, If that caVpct be done, at least
I can make sure that with his pass
? from office such deeds will beco
things of the past, and that the
I partment will become one of just
s in fact as well asSin name.