The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-07-25

Let us compare what is projected
with the constitutional civil liberties guaranteed to the
individual in Articles l, and 6:
Under terms of the house approved Sec
ton o. 81 federal employees accused of having sym
pathetic association" with any domestic foreign
ganization designated BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
as otaltaran fascist communist subversive, would
be subject to discharge by the loyalty" board.
pointed out the house floor sympathetic associa-
ton" could mean that because federal employee at
tended meeting of allegedy communications
ganization of the KKK-or the Republican party,
or because said emplOye might have brother who
affiliated with alegedy subversive organization
he would be guilty of sympathetic association and
thereby subject to discharge The reader need only
call the furore that raised the Wallace
gate meeting in Washington, DC. and the presence of
house unAmerican committee investigators checking
federal employees in attendance visualize how this
term sympathetic association" could be construed
be in direct contradiction with Article l of the Bill of
Rights which states in part:
Congress shall make no law abridsing the free
dom of speech the right of the people peace
ably to assemble :"
Patterned After Nazi Peoples Courts?
Section of the proposed law established board
which investigates, prosecutes and passes final udg
ment on the loyalty" of each federal employee. This
board will be under compulson to disclose the nature
of the evidence presented against the will
it be compelled to disclose the names of the
accusers Here again there seems reasonable grounds
that this is in contravention of Article of the Bill
Rights, which states:
ain all criminal prosecutions the accused shall en-
Joy the right to speedy and public trial. by an
partial jury and to be informed of the nature and
cause of the accusation and to be confronted with
the witnesses against him :"
Certainly if man is on trial before such proposed
board on charge of "disloyalty', that would be a
criminal prosecution, prosecution little short of the
more Renuous crime of which is already COW
cred 10y federal codes and under which codes the
cused Is given all the benefits of Article 6.
Because of the very nature of the blthe authority
OF board to take away from accused employee his
job and his reputation assigning to him of an
economic death without process or redress
through the courts this bill would also infringe
heavily Article of the Bill of Rights which
'No person shall be held to answer for capital
or otherwise Infamous crime, unless presenment
or indictment of grand jury nor be deprived of
life, liberty or PROPERTY, without due process of
law"
Does it not reasonable, that a federal en-
ploye thus branded "disloya" would find almost all
other avenues of employment closed to him, would
find in effect himself deprived of his security
property without due process of law?
Two other major precepts laid down in lib 1913
merit careful consideration
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
This bill reverses and defies the whole development
OF American law. AS pointed out by Rep SABBATH ILL
nois, and dean of the 1T assumes the guilt of
the accused until proved innocent 1t places burden of
dsproof on the accused, not the burden of proof on
the prosecutor :" AS any attorney will affirm this
is fundamental departure from all standards of law
in this country.
Also under terms of the house the attorney
general is accorded not previously accorded to
any American public official in time Of or peace
On his authority and his authority numerous and
'undry organizations be declared "subversive"
ilVeh the right kind of attorney general say
lar caliber to Mitchell Palmer of post-World War
lays, it is easy to visualize to what extent the civil
1beres of federal employees would be encroached upon
would in effect be non-eXisten if said employees would
continue in federal service The setting legal
framework whereby some potential Heinrich HmmIer
night convert the FBI into "gestapO" or Thought
'ohce Will cause mass exodus of the best brains
rom government service and will foreclOse any desire
u other highly gifted men to enter the employee of the
ederal government.
Liberties of All Americans Endangered
Further, should this bill be enacted and upheld by
he courts it will not only effect the civil liberties of
ederal employees. 1t will be major step toward I'M
ermining the civil liberties Americans of every walk
llfe OF every political hue In brief this the most
angerous assault the freedom of the American