The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-07

NACeSA Q NUJ VI wv SS6Os
 ''Whenever it becomes noce0-
 sary for me as Governor of the
 State or as an individual to
 StuItify my conscience and to
 stop fighting for those things
 that I believe to be right, I will
 be glad to withdraw from .
 party that would require such .
 surrender of principle.
 Enter the Professors
 Linked with threats of impeach- ment of New Jerseys chief ex- ecutive made by the Governors political adversaries, inside and outside his own party, is the pos- sibility of legislative inquiry into the Hauptmann affair. Governor Hoffman announces his eagerness to have such an inquiry made but he wants it to take in all the phases; the Kidnapping of the Lindbergh child; the police inves- tigation of the crime; and every thing connected with the conduct of the trial. His opponents seek to have an investigation only into his alleged unwarranted, illegal meddling with the execution of Hauptmann's sentence and his ob- struction of the orderly process of Jersey justice". The president of Princeton University, some members of his faculty, and some business men have joined hands with those determined to limit the inquiry to Governor Hoffman's actions and to leave out any con- sideration of the murderous kid- naping of the Lindbergh baby. The attitude of the Governors political foes is understandable but that of the Princeton petition CTS is not.
 Why Now?
 For weeks in Remington Hauptmann was being tried for the commission of 8 horrible crime. The victims father was 8 national and international figure. The nation seethed with indigna- ton and gave its unqualified sym- pathy to the stricken parents. Their prominence, the nature of the offense, and the fact the &C., cused was an alien illegally in the country, convicted of robbery in Germany, and, until his arrest al- together unknown, demanded that the trial should be conducted with the most rigorous regard for abso- lute order. The eyes of the world were focused on a previously in- significant New Jersey village. Here if ever was an opportunity for the display of that ideal of im- partial even-handed justice which makes no consideration of any, thing except the crime and the evidence. Instead, the world was invited to 8 judicial entertain ment which combined the features of a circus with that of 8 farce. Sound pictures of the proceedings were taken and exhibited and were only stopped when the out cry against them became univer- sal throughout the country. That they could have been taken with out the permission of the court is incredible. Sensation seekers in- vaded the courtroom; tickets to the hearings were at premium; newspaper photographers popped their bulbs without Interruption or interference; the atmosphere inside the building and outside 1t was that of carnival Midway; the roars of rage from the crowds thirsting for the prisoners blood beat against the ears of the jury men and jury-women without cease; scenario writers, novelists, philosophers, and literary fakirs of every description pushed and milled for elbow room at the press tables. Edna Ferber assigned to cover the trial took look, wrote the blasting report of what was going on, and never returned. The American Bar Association ripped the proceedings to tatters. Yet all this time there is no record that the president of Princeton University members of the facul- ty, and their associate business men ever protested against what even those who believed the &C., cused to be guilty regarded as an unqualified disgrace. No matter who else open their mouths now about the actions of Governor Hoffman subsequent to Haupt- mann's conviction, the educators from Princeton should keep theirs shut discreetly tight. Their si- lence when outspoken criticism was both justified and called for damns them completely.