The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-05-16
I. S. Supreme Court Supports
Cestapo Methods


The recent five to four decision of the United State
Supreme Court affirming the conviction of George Harris TO
violation of the selecve service act portentous because
harmonizes far too closely with other tendencies evident
the activities on the national stage
Harris evidently smal-time crook, charged with
tempting to deraud oil company and the FBI gver
two warrants for the mans The officers of the FB
had search warrant their authority limited arrest
ing Harris and bringing him before the court.
However dsregardng their lack of authority the FIJI
officers proceeded with gestapoke indifference thoroughly
search the home OF the man they arrested They did not find
what they searching for but did discover evidence that
Harris had presumably violated the selecve service He
convicted in the lower and the reached the
United States Supreme Court.
There question the mans guilt charged
voved in the decision the court asked to make
Bacaly at stake the right of and to protection
against unlawful searches and seizues against gesapo
methods of officers of the law.
The five four decision the United States Supreme
did than uphold the Harris
aton of the seectve service act 1t set aside ruthes the
fourth amendment to the United States Constitution
the sections of the BILL of Rights the provisions of which
in plain unequivoca language Gould you justify the search
by the FBI officers of Harris house without search
under this constitutional safeguard which reads:
The rights of the people be in their
houses and effects against unreasonable searches
and seizures shall not be violated and shall
issue but upon probable cause supported by Oath or a
firmaton, and particularly describing the place be
searched and the persons or things to be sezed
possible decision by major
y of five of the justices of the court clearly set
forth brief paragraph of the dissenting opinion of Justice
Frankfurter when he says:
How there be freedom of thought freedom of
speech or freedom of religion if the police can without war
search house and mine from cellar merely
because they executing warrant OF arrest? How
feel free all their be searched incident
to the arrest the house. the chance that
thing rather be up? Yesterday the
justifyng document illicit ration book,
be piece of literature. Emphasis ours)
assume, certainly have the right that the gov
ernmen decided in its drive against Communism and with
the to define and declare organizations comunstc
without hearing placed in the hands Of the department of
justice under which the FBI operates then who is safe from
unreasonable searches and seizures under the opinion of the
supreme court? Labor and farm organizations and their
membership not completely known and recognized in abs
harmony with all of the policies of the admin
itraon will not be safe from unreasonable searches and
seizures.
We reminded of the campaign tactics of the present
majority party the during the campaign last year
when the opposition generally declared to be commu
n Could not the party after the next election
assuming that it's executive and legislative divisions would be
of the political party complexion invoke this of
the justice department. and supported by the decision the
Harris institute real reign of terror wherein member
of the opposition party would be safe?
and parcel of this portentous drift the recent
approval by the Federal Communications Commission of wire
tapping. True the approval limited to general and
ornamental interstate and foreign telephone calls but here again
would be involved the matter of determining classification,
which wide latitude be assumed And prejudice
sonal and political could be the controlling element
An editor of metropolitan daily paper ventured the
seron editorial that the five learned justices might
differently by holding Illegal the of the
papers involving him in guilt, had he been person of
prominence This to be reasonable conclusion but
does not give much to little