The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-13
The Only Question

OH6fS Ol OIHeTS 10 serve pOrIlOu OI lHc
sentence melted out to Rev. E. S. Shumaker,
head of the Anti-Saloon League, by the Su-
preme Court for contempt are of course foolish
and futile.
We have gone far in this country, but not
quite that far We may have surrendered a
part of the theory of individual responsibility
for personal morals and actions tot the tender
mercies Of statutes but we have not abandoned,
under the law, the theory that every man must
pay the price for his own acts.
The followers of the dry leader are as mis-
taken in their ideas Of what this country is
al about as, in the opinion Of The Times, was
the Supreme Court when it endeavored to say
that it could punish any man for commenting
upon its decisions in matters which it had
ended and decided
They can see nothing in this sentencing of
Shumaker but martyrdom for him because of
his attitude on the question of prohibition.
They choose to present him as a man who
is punished because he was making it impos-
sible for anyone to drink alcoholic beverages
unless he patronized a bootlegger.
They choose to paint him in this role Of
martyr to a court they presume to be wet
and to credit his sentence to the fact that he
was real enemy to whisky.
Of course, nothing could be farther from
the facts.
The fight made by Shumaker was based
upon his sincere, though mistaken, idea that
the prohibition law is the only important law
nSthe land and that the constitution and Bill
Of Rights should be discarded if necessary in
order to effectually enforce it. In that he
was as blind to the results as are those who
now rejoice that he is facing prison for criti-
cising court decisions.
He espoused an intoerant attitude of mind
He wrote into the laws of this State provisions
that violate the common sense of most people
when he made it impossible for physicians to
prescribe whisky as medicine.
How well he succeeded is shown in the
passage Of resolutions by various organiza-
tions demanding the impeachment Of Attorney
General Gilliom because he frankly admitted
that he had secured whisky illegally, to save
the lives of his sons.
1t is shown more by the fact that these
same organizations do not include Governor
Jackson who obtained whisky from Gilliom in
order to save the life of Mrs jackson but who
has thus far refused to give credit for her re-
covery to that fact
The placing of Shumaker upon this dry
pedestal is taking from citizens true perspec-
tive of the real danger of the decision under
which he is sentenced to jail
The test of Shumaker's ideas and Of all
theories of government depend upon full
frank and unhampered discussion Of the ques-
ton.
Shumaker knows better than any one, that
neither he nor the leader of any cause, can
succeed unless there be freedom of speech
which includes the discussion of court deci-
sions.
He becomes the center of greater crusade
than any he has waged For it is fundamental
to all progress and to the protection of all
liberties.
The real friends Of Shumaker, the real
friends Of the so-caled dry cause, the believers
in true liberty and self-government have a
coriiomn meeting ground-but it is not in the
dry question
There is only one issue. Shall the Supreme
Court of this State arrogate to itself the power
to decide what men shall say about it's deci-
sions, to declare what comments shall be made,
to rule upon the truth or falsity of such state
ments?
Here is grave danger 1t is power never
asserted by any other court II. may well be-
come precedent for all courts. And when
it does so become, there is left nothing in the
Bill of Rights to protect citizens against any
tyrannies which may be penetrated in the
future.
Marcelled Mentality
Not long ago man discovered that cri.n ne vas in,