Evening star., 1921-11-04
Editorial Digest
"Leave to Print"

Leave 10 fI1uL.
Representative Blanton Of Texas, by
his extension" in the Congressional
Record Of remarks" which he would
not have been permitted to make on
the floor, has released the lid which
ordinarily serves to keep under con-
troll the "Jack- -the-Box" Of "leave
to print" And now that he has been
duly punished for it the press de-
mands that either the lid be so thor
ough1y safeguarded that 1t cannot
spring again. or that the "Jack-in-
the-Box" be KILLED for keeps" as the
Grand G,Iss J. Rapids Herald dndependent,
So far as the personal element In
the affair is concerned. there is little
sentiment that Blanton got more than
he deserved in the official censure he
received for his ''abuse Of the ex-
tension Of remarks privilege" and
very few papers condone his method
Of expression on account of his theme.
but the press as a whole condemns
him Internationally.
The House showed more leniency
than logic" the Milwaukee Sentinel
"a public rebuke" which, in view Of
the serious nature Of the offense.
looks like a good-natured compro-
mise" Indeed, the Boston Transcript
independent republican, declares
that 1t has not added to its credit
with right,minded and decent people
by its failure to expel Representa-
tive Blanton." since, as the Sioux City
Tribune independently contends,
there is no room In the Congress of
the United States for him.
While the Port Huron (Mich.) Times
Herald independently believes that
"Blanton should have been thrown out
bodily. because it is doubtful that a
mere reprimand will make anything
but worse crank out OF him." the
Charlotte IN. c. Observer independ-
ent democraD thinks 1t better to let
out and have the country make a
martyr Of him. Since me has made
himself a legislative pariah" as the
Canton (Ohio) News (democratic) ex-
presses it. the Columbia (Ohio) Dis
patch Independently suggests that "he
the House. in any event. and his
career there is likely to expire with
his present term"
But having punished a concrete in
stance OF violation of congressional
ethics. what. asks the Knoxville Jour
gress going to do to prevent a repeti-
tion of an incident Of this charac cter
or some other foolish thing as a result
Of its leave to print and extension of
remarks buncombe?" a question to
which most papers demand an answer.
The leave to print custom has
been abused before" the Brooklyn
Eagle independent democratic) says.
but never in such a shameless way
as this If it is to continue there
see that that privilege is not abused.
rs there no supervision or censor
ship over the Official record of Con-
gress competent to keep indecent
matter ort of print?" the Worcester
isn't it high time that the practice
OF permitting a member to put any
thing he wishes into the Congress
sional Record under the subterfuge
that it is an undelivered speech
should come to an end?"
Probably not half of the matter
appearing in the Record has ever
been spoken on the floor Of either
House. the Nashville Banner iinde-
pendenO asserts. and the public has
become accustomed to this hoary
ed as harmless" Now that the Blan-
ton incident shows that it is not
wholly So" it should certainly be
subjected "to some kind of editing or
in some way censored before it goes
The Congressional Record. which
the Arkansas Democrat Nittle Rock,
democratic) laoels that publication
Of political propaganda, used TO be
"an important source of information"
but now the Grand Rapids Press Gn-
dependenD finds it far more val
liable to the election seeker than to
the legislator" The leave to print
privilege Is IAN election device, pure
and simple" declares the New York
Call (socialist). maintained, as the
Pittsburgh Dispatch independently
puts it, lat public expense for the
hoodwinking of the folks back
home" The Blanton affair affords
opportunity, the Philadelphia Bulle-
tin Independent republican, sug-
gests, to recognize the use that is
made of the Congressional Record
for the circulation Of propaganda,
sometimes wholly irrelevant to sub
jects of debate in Congress, some
times mischievous and sometimes
contrary to public interest," and to
put an end to it by restricting the
use Of leave to print and extended
remarks and by establishing a real
record Of Congress-" for, it adds. "if
the Record had been true to it's titu-
lar service and had been a transcript
Of proceedings in the halls of Con-
gress. this disgraceful performance
never would have happened"