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Show WESTBROOK PEGLER The People Hold the Power THE Hollywood Communists and those glamorous ignoramuses igno-ramuses who went into that second-act climax on their ; behalf cannot be blamed for underestimating the powers of a committee of congress to rebuke contempt for the congressional congres-sional authority. It has been our custom and our mental habit for so long to ridicule congress that actually the members themselves of the Thomas committee on un-American activities were not sure of their rights and powers. But they are 'sure now. Their lawyers looked things up and they are on safe ground. The people of the United States really have unlimited power. Some essayists think the Constitution limits the powers of the people, but they are wrong. The people limit the powers of the Constitution. They made it. They can wideu or warp it, as they please. At present we deny ourselves the protection of a law providing punishment, punish-ment, even up to the death penalty, for membership in the Communist party or collaboration with Communists by non-Communists toward the destruction of our government by force. There is a superstition that because thus far we have passed no such law, we can't. That is just a superstition. Congress could fix it up tomorrow. |
