The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-04-23
Hobbs Bill Fight Moves Into Senate


of that confusion came house passage.
1t is to be hoped that there will be
more clarity, and more unified op-
position, in the fight to prevent the
bill from passing the senate.
Wire your own two senators today,
urging defeat of H. r. 653, the Hobbs
Anti-Labor bill.
Fish Moves to NuIify
Anti-Sedltion Law
Latest move on behalf of the "a in
dicted seditionists comes from Con
gresham Hamilton Fish, undoubtedly
with the support of those who backed
him in his fight against passage of
the War Security act. Fish's action
is Introduction of a bill, H. r. 1852,
to nullify the sedition act under which
the "a were indicted. He does it by
rewriting the act so that it cannot
conceivably be enforced. few of
the sleight of hand accomplishments
of Fl. r. 1852 are:
Prosecution is limited to persons
who accomplish their purpose of inn
pairing the loyalty, morale, and dis
cipline' of the armed forces by per-
conal contact. This would exclude
publishers of seditious literature dis
tributed to the armed forces unless
they made a personal contact with in
dividual members. They could dis
tribute all they pleased by any other
method. Only actual personal dis
tributors would be liable.
The whole theory of prosecution
for conspiracy is nullified Each in
dividual member of a conspiracy I'M
der this act would have to be proved
to have personally performed an act
which is in itself criminal To illus
trate: if this principle were applied
in prosecution for counterfeiting, the
member of the conspiracy who buys
the ink lin itself not a criminal act) |
could not be prosecuted for this share |
Under the Fish bill, seditionist or
group of seditionists could not be in
dicted unless their sedition was sue
cessfull In this provision also the
theory of prosecution for conspiracy
is nullified.
The highest sentence for the high
est crime in wartime, under the Fish
bill, would be a year in Jail and $500
fine.
There are a dozen other ways in
which the Fish bill would nullify the
possibility of successful prosecutions
for sedition and seditious conspiracy
in war time. Those noted are enough
to give you an idea.
The Fish bill is indicative of the
lengths to which isolationists and poll
takers in congress will go to protect
he enemy in our midst. The follow
up is perfect, after the spectacle these
gentlemen made of themselves in con-
lection with the War Security act.
And On The Other Hand
We have Ham Fish's closest col
abOrator, Martin Dies of un-American
anne, introducing new legislation
which will be supported by Mr. Fish,
because it's right up his alley. Be it
that Attorney General
8iddle in his decision on the Bridges
deportation case threw in free for
nothing and without reference to the
subject on which he was writing, a
list of few organizations, most of
hem defunct, which he held to be
Later on, an Interdepart-
mental committee drew up another
list, fantastic in its presentations.
which for the most part has been held
confidential, but part of which Mr..
Dies had inserted in the COMPRESSION
Il Record. 1t is also easy to recall j.
hat Mr. Dies himself has from time
o time named practically every CLIO <
Inion, and many other organizations, 9
IS subversive. In this place it is l
carcely necessary to repeat again the
'asis (if any of Mr.. Dies findings. I
Mr.. Dies Fl. r. 2447 provides that I
ny person who belongs to or in any t
7ay supports any of these organiza- l.
ions shall be ineligible for employ e
1ent by the government in any capa- a
ity. Apparently Mr.. Dies considers v
imself permanent department, be-
ause the bill writes his committee u
lto law, and makes its findings a S
natter of law.
Mr.. Dies second bill, H. R. 2446 g
Tould cancel the citizenship of ANY q
ERSON chat means native-born as Il
Tell as naturalized) who joins "any S
rganization subject to foreign control II
nd engaged in political activity
resumably again by Dies definition. a
This is exactly the same Mr.. Dies !
Tho was so worried about the civil
berries" of saboteurs that he fought
bill to punish their activities in war
me-
H. R. 2447 is before the committee
Il the civil service Congressman
ebert "Poll-tax' Ramspeck, chair
am; H. r. 2446 is before the Judi
airy committee Congressman Hatton
:. "Poll-tax" Summers, chairman).
les has announced he will press for
lrly hearings and reports to get the
lis out for a vote.
Grade Labelling" Investigation
The paratroopers got in another
TX behind our lines last week, when
o house of representatives passed
R. SO, and thereby set up a COM
ittee to Investigate" the Office of
ice Administration and the War
'oduction Board. This potent =
sapon against the war was spon- r.
red and therefore will most lilyaIx III