On the Right

Baton Rouge, La., April 26—Like everybody else, only as usual more so, the Kids are troubled by reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is getting out of hand. At Louisiana State University, for instance, the matter came up several times, with questions asked that demanded specific answers. What about the FBI agent who reported on the scoutmaster who wanted to take his troops to the Soviet Union? What about Hale Boggs’ charge that his telephone is being tapped? What about the charge that I. Edgar Hoover gave Lyndon Johnson details of Martin Luther King’s priapic extramarital life?

First, the context: in the absence of which explanations simply aren’t very useful. The most important thing to bear in mind is that you do not need any police work at all when there are no lawbreakers. But as law-breaking mounts, so does the necessity for police work.

About the Author

William F. Buckley Jr.

William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review magazine in 1955.

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Martin Luther King Jr

Baton Rouge, La., April 26—Like everybody else, only as usual more so, the Kids are troubled by reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is getting out of hand. At Louisiana State University, for instance, the matter came up several times, with questions asked that demanded specific answers. What about the FBI agent who reported on the scoutmaster who wanted to take his troops to the Soviet Union? What about Hale Boggs’ charge that his telephone is being tapped? What about the charge that I. Edgar Hoover gave Lyndon Johnson details of Martin Luther King’s priapic extramarital life?

First, the context: in the absence of which explanations simply aren’t very useful. The most important thing to bear in mind is that you do not need any police work at all when there are no lawbreakers. But as law-breaking mounts, so does the necessity for police work.