The Sun remembers 1954: Where I Stand — Hank Greenspun: Indictment the result of pressure by McCarthy

Friday, Aug. 4, 2000 | 8:54 a.m.

Note to readers: This column by Sun founder Hank Greenspun appeared on April 10, 1954

"When troubles trouble you, sing baby sing."

However, 'T'aint funny, Magee.

The indictment charging intent to incite to arson, murder and assassination would be ludicrous if there weren't such serious implications. It isn't the knowledge that I face five years in the penitentiary for this supposed crime that frightens me. That is the least of it. It is horrifying that federal agencies indicated that action was taken to indict an editor of a paper through pressure of a United States Senator.

The post office department also admits that they know of no recent case in which the criminal status relating to incitement to murder and assassination had been applied to material published in a newspaper.

As expected, Senator McCarthy denies ever having brought this matter to the attention of the Postal authorities but the statements of the post office solicitor refute the senator. He admits that McCarthy instigated the action originally and later asked that it be held until further orders from him.

The column which I wrote and which was the basis of the indictment has been reprinted in almost every newspaper of the country in the past two days. I have appeared on CBS television news, NBC television, Movietone News and every major wire service recorded interviews.

If the writing which was originally printed in the Sun is of a criminal nature, it is now incumbent upon the Postoffice department to bring criminal charges against every newspaper, radio and television outlet which used the identical material in their columns in the past few days.

If I commit a crime and am indicted for it, then every other newspaper that quoted my column yesterday is guilty of the same crime and must be indicted. It appears to me that the post office department has a major-sized job cut out for it. How the federal government can now wiggle out of bringing criminal charges against every newspaper which handled the story is beyond me. The criminal act was not in the writing but in sending it through the mails. Every newspaper in the country, including the Las Vegas afternoon paper, goes through the mails and have committed the same crime.

I intend to ask the United States Attorney, Madison Graves, to bring identical charges against the Review-Journal. I am also writing my attorney in Washington to request the post office department to proceed against every newspaper in the country which printed the same material in their news columns which, in the Sun, "incites to arson, murder and assassination." If the Government is anxious to enforce the laws, let's see how far they are ready to go.

If I commit a murder, it doesn't give any other newspaper the right to commit a murder. At least that's the way it looks from here.

It should be interesting to see what course the Government will take.

What I would like to know is; will the day ever come in this country when political office will not be used as an instrumentality to reward friends and punish enemies?