The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-29
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS

CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS
This Summer is to witness what IN some
respects amounts to three-ring political
circus. and might be clasSed as one but Tor
the tragic details which are certain to re-
shit in more trouble for the country, with
no compensating good results to offset the
had. We refer to the three congressional
Investigations to be conducted during the
next few months. Of these witch-huntmg
expeditions, Gen. Hugh Johnson recently
said: ..... . ...-. .'.
"Thrcc important Summer Investigations are
about to begin under the almost unlimited power
of Congressional inQuiSition. That power Is to en-
anime into the affairs of men or institutions which
ote under criticism at the bar of public OPINION
Sometimes the verdict, plus the disclosures of the
trial results in what is in practical effect SEN
fence of economic pains and penalties or even eco
nPmle death
But in these trials the accused has none of the
defensive rights guaranteed in almost every other
ststem of Justice. They conducted by commit
tees, usually composed of Congressman but, IN one
Of these cases, also composed Of and now sure to
he dominated BY executive officers. These are the
ihdges who arrive at the verdict. They are also the
rtosecutors if not the accuSers Nobody ever heard
Of that kind of arrangement in any accepted sys-
tenn of justice.
1.-The accused can't call any witnesses or con-
font or cross-examine any witnesses against him.
III what he says in his defense is not accept
able to the inqusitiOn it tell him to sit down
and shut up. If he refuses to answer, the commit
tee can send him to jail for contempt. This also
conforms to no other recognized system of justice
Finally there is no pretense that the judges are
Impartial They are politicians seeking to use these
extraordinary powers, not primarily to produce
review of all pertinent facts. but primarily to boil
ster their own particular political pretenslons by
bringing out all the facts tina. serve that end and
shppressing or minimizing all others, In one OF
tAese inquistions they not only politicians but
dbgmatic administrative zeaots, intent on taking
APART the American economic pattern and putting
il together again some modified form OF Euro
pean coectiysm.
t"They viii use their inquisitonal power not to
INQUIRE whether this should be done. but only to
atSoe that it must be done. The truth has less
chance before these three coming summer inquisi-
tons than Joan of Arc in her trial and execution
before the Bishop of Beauyais, than a French Roy
aiist before the French Tribunes of the Terror or
than Jesus before Caiaphas. AT U.s..
"This political three ring circus has in Ring
the IVA inquisition, entirely dominated by Third
New Dealers The Third New Deal is violently and
rkpeatedy. on record as idolizing IVA and con-
demning it's opponents. 1t is certain to be bath
Il whitewash for IVA and of mud for its oppon-
ehts H-.s
"Rng is the, political investigation of misuse
of relief funds especially under WPA. 1t is also
spnothered under New Deal domination and nflu-
ehce 1t is literally impossible to suppose that there
will be any revelation or, indeed, any actual pro-
cSdure
''The scintillating middle ring-the monopoly"
i9vestigation-a production of witch-fnding
with st. Bartholomew massacre of all business
opponents of the Third New Deal at the end.'
Gen.. JohnSon's estimate of so-called con-
gressional investigation is accurate and
fair. His condemnation of the procedure
is not as severe as it might be or ought to
be. These political Investigations. made
for the purpose, at this time, of aiding the
new deal to accomplish it's unholy ends,
have always merited much of the condem-
nation voiced by Gen.: Johnson. Under new
deal auspices they are on par with the
Russian OGPU and other communistic de-
vices for controlling country and "iqui-
dating all who oppose it's masters. =.
In this connection public attention may
be directed to one significant fact in con-
nection with new deal inquisitioning: In
the South many citizens are still clingine
to the new deal and supporting it simply
because the new dealers have control Of
Democratic party organization and ma.
chlnery. They wear the Democratic party
label for strategic reasons, for political
purposes, Sea-. ....s., a. ,.~, u ,e-
These deluded southern Democrats ougn