William O. Douglas

“ We cannot allow this man to go to prison for 12 months unless we hold that an investigation of those who criticize the Un-American Activities Committee was both authorized and constitutional. I cannot read the Resolution as authorizing that kind of investigation without assuming that the Congress intended to flout the First Amendment. ”

“ The Committee [2] is authorized by the Resolution governing it to make investigations of 'the extent, character, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States.'
If it is 'un-American' to criticize, impeach, and berate the Committee and to seek to have it abolished, then the Committee acted within the scope of its authority in asking the questions. But we take a dangerous leap when we reach the conclusion that criticism of the Committee was within the scope of the Resolution. ”

“ The indictment charged only the failure to answer the one question, 'Are you now a member of the Communist Party?' That question in other contexts might well have been appropriate. We have here, however, an investigation whose central aim was finding out what criticism a citizen was making of the Government. ”