Evening star., 1933-11-29
A Hoosier Hitler.

Representative William T. Schultz
Democrat, Of Indiana, predicted in a
speech delivered in Gary that the Con-
gress when it meets in January would
pass legislation "muzzling the press.
He added that the press needs muz-
cling" Another Hitler. perhaps little
one, raises his head, and strangely
enough in the Hoosier State, famed for
its inclination to politics and literature.
Mr.. Schultz is first termer in Con-
gress, and his ideas of the powers OF
that body are seemingly little exalted.
He ignores the provision in the Consti-
tuition asserting the right of free speech.
The first amendment to the Constitu-
tion, one of ten which were proposed to
the Legislatures Of the States by the
First Congress in 1889 and by them
ratified, says: Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of re-
ligion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom OF
speech, or Of the press; etc." But a
little thing like the Constitution of the
United States must not be allowed to
stand in Mr.. Schulte's -muzzling
way, it appears, when it is necessary to
halt attacks in the press upon the
Roosevelt administration or any Of the
officials of the Government.
The press, or that part of it, which
does not agree with Mr.. Schultz is the
subsidized press" which he asserts the
Congress must deal with along with "the
thieves of Wall Street" The purpose
Of this press, Mr.. Schultz claims, Is to
stop Roosevelt" Assuredly no other
administration has merited and received
greater support from the press of the
country, which includes Republican as
well as Democratic newspapers, than
has the Roosevelt administration since
March last. The President has de-
served to have and has had a friendly
press from the very start of his admin
istration and of his campaign for ma
tional recovery. But now, according
to Mr.. Schultz, the press is overstep-
ping the line; 1t is, in fact, guilty Of
lese majesty-it has dared to be critical
of some of the policies of the admins
tration and of some of the official acts
of the officers of the Government.
In the national yearning to recover
quickly from the depression and to avoid
embarrassing the President in his cam
paign for recovery, the desire to put a
prompt end to criticisms of the admin
istration in the press may be natural
But these criticisms can best be met by
sound argument and patriotic appeal,
emitting invective and threats of VIC
lence The muzzle Is the last weapon
which should be put forward by the
party which claims Thomas Jefferson
as its patron saint. And yet the ten
dency to clamp down" on the press
crops up in unexpected places. The
reluctance on the part of the N. r. A.
to have included in the newspaper code,
for example, statement Of the right of
ton. A recent order, since somewhat
modified, issued by the Acting Secretary
of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, jr,
virtually establishing a censorship of
news from the Treasury Department
and all its bureaus, was another.
1t will be sorry day when the Amer
can people tolerate curtailment of the
freedom of speech and of free press.
The people in the past have sometimes
become impatient with the outpourings
Of a few members of Congress. But
they have suffered these outpourings
patriotically in the interest of freedom
Of speech. Surely reciprocity, like the
motion to adjourn, Is always in order
and might reasonably be expected in
this case.
o.