79-543 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1967 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY EMANUEL CELLER, New York, Chairman MICHAEL A. FEIGHAN, Ohio EDWIN E. WILLIS, Louisiana WILLIAM M. TUCK, Virginia ROBERT T. ASHMORE, South Carolina JOHN DOWDY, Texas BASIL L. WHITENER, North Carolina WILLIAM L. HUNGATE, Missouri WILLIAM M. MCCULLOCH, Ohio HENRY P. SMITH III, New York CHARLES W. SANDMAN, JR., New Jersey EDWARD G. BIESTER, JR., Pennsylvania CHARLES E. WIGGINS, California CONTENTS Page Clausen, Hon. Don H., U.S. Representative from California_ Cramer, Hon. William C., U.S. Representative from Florida_ Davis, Hon. Glenn R., U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. Edwards, Hon. Jack, U.S. Representative from Alabama Farbstein, Hon. Leonard, U.S. Representative from New York. Hall, Hon. Durward G., U.S. Representative from Missouri_ Halpern, Hon. Seymour, U.S._Representative from New York. Horton, Hon. Frank J., U.S. Representative from New York. Kee, Hon. James, U.S. Representative from West Virginia.... Kelly, Hon. Edna F., U.S. Representative from New York. Kuykendall, Hon. Dan, U.S. Representative from Tennessee_ Latta, Hon. Delbert L., U.S. Representative from Ohio... 256 306 204 253 177 McClory, Hon. Robert, U.S. Representative from Illinois- 27 177 Meskill, Hon. Thomas J., U.S. Representative from Connecticut. Morris, Edward, teaching fellow, Bowling Green State University, 233 Quillen, Hon. James H., U.S. Representative from Tennessee Murphy, Hon. John M., U.S. Representative from New York. Musmanno, Hon. Michael, justice, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania__ 70 262 64 216 197 28 258 Reid, Herbert O., Professor of Constitutional Law, Howard Uni- P 279 Rivers, Hon. L. Mendel, U.Ŝ. Representative from South Carolina___ Rogers, Hon. Paul G., U.S. Representative from Florida--- Roudebush, Hon. Richard L., U.S. Representative from Indiana--- Scerra, Joseph, Sr. vice commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the Selden, Hon. Armistead I., U.S. Representative from Alabama_ Sikes, Hon. Robert L. F., U.S. Representative from Florida___ Smith, Hon. H. Allen, U.S. Representative from California- Speiser, Lawrence, American Civil Liberties Union... Walker, Hon. E. S. Johnny, U.S. Representative from New Mexico.. Wampler, Hon. William C., U.S. Representative from Virginia__ Webb, Maurice T., director, National Americanism Commission, Wyman, Hon. Louis C., U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.. 113 Adair, Hon. E. Ross, U.S. Representative from Indiana..... Anderson, A. Leo, AMVETS national commander__. Ashbrook, Hon. John M., U.S. Representative from Ohio... Baring, Hon. Walter S., U.S. Representative from Nevada__ Berry, Hon. E. Y., U.S. Representative from South Dakota__ Biester, Hon. Edward G., Jr., U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. Boggs, Hon. Hale, U.S. Representative from Louisiana.. Chamberlain, Hon. Charles E., U.S. Representative from Michigan.. Clancy, Hon. Donald D., U.S. Representative from Ohio...--- Corbett, Hon. Robert J., U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania____ de la Garza, Eligio (Kika), U.S. Representative from Texas... Delaney, Hon. James J., U.S. Representative from New York..... District of Columbia State Federation of Business & Professional Dole, Hon. Robert, U.S. Representative from Kansas.. Fulton, Hon. James G., U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.. Papantonio, Edward, chairman, National Americanism Committee, Reid, Hon. Charlotte T., U.S. Representative from Illinois_ Schadeberg, Hon. Henry C., U.S. Representative from Wisconsin__ J H.R. 271, AND SIMILAR BILLS, TO PROHIBIT DESECRATION OF THE FLAG MONDAY, MAY 8, 1967 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE No. 4 OF THE The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in room 2141, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Byron G. Rogers (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Rogers, Whitener, Jacobs, McClory, and Poff. Present also: Benjamin L. Zelenko, counsel, and Donald G. Benn, associate counsel. Mr. ROGERS. The hearing will come to order. Today, Subcommittee No. 4 of the Committee on the Judiciary begins hearings on measures designed to make the desecration of the flag a Federal crime. Over 60 proposals are now pending before this subcommittee which would make it a Federal offense to publicly mutilate, deface, defile, defy, trample upon or cast contempt upon, either by word or act, the og of the United States. el The bills before us differ primarily with respect to the severity of the criminal penalties they would impose. The greatest number of identical bills impose a fine of $1,000 "and" imprisonment for 1 year. Other measures provide for maximum penalties of five years' imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine. Still other bills provide lower penalties. The committee desires to proceed in its hearings with appropriate expedition and due deliberation. It will receive testimony from congressional sponsors of the legislation and from organizations who have indicated an interest in a proposed Federal criminal statute. Without objection, the text of the measures dealing with the subject will be included in the record at this point." (The documents referred to follow :) [H.R. 271, 90th Cong., first sess.] A BILL To prohibit desecration of the flag Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) section 3 of title 4, United States Code, is amended by designating the first sentence thereof as subsection (a) and the second sentence thereof as subsection (c), and by inserting after subsection (a) the following: |