The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-21
Not a. Martyr

MISGUIDED lOlOW6IS VI LA hOAuAAoASA; AAS~N
of the Anti-Saloon League, are attempting to
pose him in martyr role and denounce the
decision of the Supreme Court which sends him
to jail for contempt as a persecution.
Most significantly, these same ardent ad-
mirers approve the decision in so far as 1t
failed to increase the sentence OF Shumaker,
even though the decision did find him guilty of
attempting to use the influence of United States
Senators and the chairman Of the Republican
committee to open a back door to that court
and give him liberty in return for his political
influence
The Times did not believe that the court
should have sentenced Shumaker for his first
report That was the original case and was
based on the charge that his false comments on
decisions of the court, made in a political
campaign, for political purposes, amounted to
a contempt of court,
The Times did not believe that the con-
tempt method was the proper method of pro-
tecting the public or the courts and did
seriously interfere with the right Of free speech.
Unfortunately neither the friends or at
torneys for Shumaker raised this question.
They defended him as superpower who could
do no wrong and raised the old cry of persecu-
ton in the name Of prohibition
The second charge against Shumaker was
more Serious and it is on this charge that Shu-
maker is now found guilty but given no greater
penalty.
The charge was that two years ago, when
his contempt case was pending, Shumaker
pulled political strings to obtain his freedom.
The facts were quite plain. 1t is certain
that the two United States Senators talked
the matter over in Washington 1t is also GER
tain that on a summer evening during the 1926
campaign, Shumaker went to the home of Ar
thur Robinson and that Robinson then called
Watson on the telephone in order that Shu-
maker might make his personal appeal for aid.
There is, as the court decision points out,
some variation between the statements of Wat
son and Shumaker, with Henry Lane Wilson
confirming the Watson story and Senator Rob-
inson doing nothing to confirm the statement
of Shumaker.
If there could be any dangerous practice in
this State or in any State it is that of using
secret influence upon the highest court of the
land.
No thinking person. reading the correspond
ence between Shumaker and Senator Watson
would reach any conclusion other than that
Shumaker had tried to do, directly or indi-
rectly, this monstrous thing.
His reported threat that he would throw
the influence of one of the great church organi-
cations against "the ticket" unless he got
something's speedy decision or an acquittal,
and there is little ifference-introduced
new and sinister note into government
1t is unfortunate that the court did nat
make clear and decisive its condemnation of
this phase Of the Shumaker activities.
The martyr role does not fit. No man or
group should be able to whisper to justices with
a threat of political punishment.
It is even more unfortunate that the court
did not see fit to pursue its inquiry into the
actions of Senator Robinson and make plain
his part in the transaction. Why was he the
telephone girl for the dry leader?