Evening star., 1951-08-03
Conclusions of Butler Campaign Report by Senate Group

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information upon which to Judge
irresponsible accusations of dis
loyalty.
This subcommittee condemna-
ton of the tabloid From the Rec
ord is to be leveled more at the
outside influence" in the cam
paign and to his campaign organ
ization than at Candidate Butler
himself. Surely Candidate But
Ter erred in acts of omission, if
not in acts of commission. In
delegating complete authority to
run his campaign to Jon Jonkel
and to permit outsiders to take an
active part in planning and urg-
ing upon them such a publication
as From the Record, we must
conclude that Candidate Butler
was negligent in respect to certain
implied responsibilities of a can
didate for high public Office.
Such negligence and obeisance
cannot forever be a defense and a
protective cloak against response
bility for the acts of agents. AS
a prominent lawyer, Senator But
Ter must be fully cognizant of the
import of the old saying under the
law that Ignorance is no excuse.
Surely studied ignorance cannot
be permitted to be an excuse.
In delegating such complete and
unequiVocal power to conduct his
campaign to his campaign man
ager Jon NJ Jonkel, and through
Jonkel to other outsiders. Senator
Butler must accept some RESPONSE
bility for acts alleged in his be-
half by his agents. If these agents
are to blame for censurable acts,
then this delegation of authority
to them by the candidate cannot
excuse him from criticism.
AS we have pointed out before,
Senator Butler can escape the
legal responsibility for these acts
of his agents. but there was a
moral responsibility for keeping
that part of the campaign planned
and executed by his official cam
paign organization and their as
Sociates above the low level Of
exploiting the doubt" as to the
loyalty and patriotism Of former
Senator TydingS.
In view of the foregoing. the
subcommittee makes the following
specific conclusions and recon-
mendations:
l. The hearings very force
fully demonstrate the necessity
/ for rules to be formulated on
the procedures and standards
for contesting the election of
any Senator because of acts
/ committed in the conduct of his
campaign and for establishing
standards or guideposts for what
constitutes sufficient grounds
| for unSeating Senator
The subcommittee strongly
! urges that the Rules Committee
of the Senate adopt a rule of
the Senate which will prescribe
in unequivocal terms that the
use of defamatory literature in
a senatorial campaign will con-
stitute good grounds for consid-
Grafton by the Senate an action
to declare such seat vacant.
2. Standards should be es-
tablished by the Senate to def
initely fix by law the RESPONSE
bility on the part of candidate
for the campaign acts and con-
duct Of his campaign manager
and other authorized campaign
aides.
3. Composite pictures such as
that appearing in the tabloid,
From the Record, which falsely
or maliciously misrepresent
facts and without justification
create and exploit doubt about
the loyalty to his country of an
opposing candidate should be
made illegal under the Federal
election laws. The State of
Maryland, as result of our
hearings, has taken the lead in
this respect as far as State elec-
ton laws are concerned.
The subcommittee recon-
mends legislation outlawing all
composite pictures in campaigns
which would be designed to mis-
/ represent or distort the facts
i regarding any candidate. In the
drafting of such legislation,
consideration should be given :
to all types of composites"
whether they be newspaper pic
lures, voice recordings, motion
/ OictIlreS or anv other Y1oaopS or