The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-05-05
THE LAW CLEARS RIDDICk

IA ASV5R0PSAS oAN "OAV W
pecially when an election is approach
ing, to give vent to their narrow mind
edness by picking flaws in the char
acter and good name of our public
officials. Anything will give them an
excuse to "write up" an official when
he happens to be of the opposite po-
litical faith and it often occurs that
their criticisms are i'll founded, based
on hearsay, hasty drawn conclusions
and biased judgment.
An object in view pertaining to this
class of journalism is an editorial
presented to it's readers last Sunday
by the Great Falls Tribune. The wor-
thy editor of that sheet goes on at
great length to "show up" Congress-
man Carl w. Riddick in an alleged
violation of the law, representing him
to have solicited money from party
members to extend the circulation of
the National Republican, a party
newspaper published at the national
capitol. The Tribune quotes a section
of the law expecting to show that Rid
dick had committed an unforgivable vi
'~olation of the statute, and also quotes a
letter alleged to have been written
by Riddick soliciting funds for the
purpose meneniodt ableco glxiv
purpose mentioned. The Tribune
leaves the name of the addressee blank
and for this reason the charge is en-
tirely groundless, as according to the
law quoted by the Tribune no viola
ton was committed unless it is shown
that the solicitation Of funds was made
from someone receiving government
pay checks. This the Tribune did not
point out to it's readers for the ap-
parent reason that it could not and
still allege a law violation.
1t takes only a scant understanding
of English to interpret the meaning
of the law quoted by the tribune which
is given in r~efutation of the charge:
mo senator or representative
in, or delegate or resident COM
missioner to congress, or senator,
representative, delegate, or resi-
dent commissioner : elect, or Of
ficer or employee of either house
of congress, and no executive, ju-
dicial, military or naval officer of
the United States, and no clerk
or employe of any department
branch or bureau of the executive,
judicial or military or naval SER
vice of the United States shall, d.
rectly or Indirectly, solicit or re-
ceive or be in any way CONNECTED
in soliciting or receiving any as
sessment, subscription or contri-
button for any political purpose
whatever, from any officer, clerk
or employee of the United States
or any department thereof, or
from any person receiving any
salary or compensation from mon
eys derived from the treasury Of
the United States"
In the absence of any charge that
the person solicited by Mr.. Riddick
for funds as heretofore stated was a
government employee or received
money derived from the United States
treasury there is no ground for the
allegations set up by the Tribune. In
fact, to deceive its readers it purpose
ly left out the name of the person to
whom Mr.. Riddick's letter was ad-
dressed, possibly presuming that it's
readers would pass lightly over the
section of the law quoted and not
ferret out the meaning and intention
of the law not particularly notice that
in order to violate it, solicitation
would have to be made from persons
particularly described in the last few
lines of the quotation. There is moth
ing in the law prohibiting Mr.. Rid
dick or anyone else from soliciting
funds from friends, party members or
any other person, excepting those
designated as being in the employ of
the government and receiving pay
checks from the U. S. treasury, and
in view of the fact that this has not
been shown or even limited at, Mr..
Riddick is ]eXonorated of the charge
placed at his door by the Great Falls
Tribune.
The Tribune closes its lengthy pre-
sumption of facts by stating: as any
comment on the above necessary? The
law is there" Taking the law as
pointed out by the Tribune and the
facts pertaining to the writing of the
letter soliciting funds for the purpose
state, more especially the fact that it
was not written to an employee of the
federal government, Mr.. Riddick can
rest his case and place his vindica-
tion-Stanford Press.