The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-03
No Tmmpering WITH the Mill.

The action of the postmasters of FL
Paso in refusing TO allow the FL Paso
Times to be transmitted through the
mail simply because it contained as news
an Associated Press dispatch giving a
synopsis of the opinion OF the supreme
court Of Louisiana compelling the Sec.
rotary of State to submit at the next
election constitutional amendment
passed by the last general assembly
extending the charter of the Louisiana
State lottery twenty-five years, is deserv-
ing OF the severcst condemnation and
ccnsure, not only because of the in
justice of such an arbitrary proceeding,
but upon grounds OF public policy. The
business manager of the Times very
properly had this postmaster, who bears
the heroic name of Smith, arrested for
unlawfuiiy OBTAINING mail matter, and
he was bound over to appear before
commission for trial, but tho punish
mcnt. whatever it will be, oven if ever
mcted out after many months OF delay,
Will not fit the crime. Nothing short
OF absolute and immediate official de-
capita ton, with whatever other punish
ment the law provides, would be pro-
per for such oiiicious intcrmcddlinr
with the mails If the United States
mail is 10 be subjected to such scrutiny
-
Paso, the pOStmasterS at various other
cities, towns, villages. hamlcts and
crossroads in the State and throughout
the United States have the same right,
power and authority, and are o: course
at liberty To Go just as the postmaster
at FL PaSo has done. If the postmaster
can stop the transmission of newspa-
per because IL has in it decision Of =
court in regard to the Louisiana lot
terry, he can also stop ii because it men
tons the name of the lottery in it, and
If he can do this he can stop the Post,
because it incidentally mentions the
name of the Louisiana Lottery Com
pany in criticising his Official conduct
II he can do this, however, he can over
ride the strongest bulwark of the liber-
ties of The people and violate one of the
plainest provisions III the constitution
OF the United States, thereby completely
throttling the press,
Upon grounds Of public policy the
United States Government should not
tolerate such tampering with the mail.
IL throws open the doors to fraud and,
II permitted. Will tend 10 make the SCR
vice inefficient and unreliable Why
not dctain Il letter suspected of contain
ing lottery advertisement, and why
not open it to ascertain If the detention
is legal? II its contents are legal why
then of course it might be permitted TO
continue on its journey.
The great wrong done newspaper pub.
fishers. however, Is TO allow Il postmas-
ter 10 auihoritativcly dctain mail mat
ter which i'll his opinion is illegal. lie
ought not 10 be permitted to do this. If
the publisher has committed any wrong
he can be held responsible and be made
to suffer the penalty; but postmaster
may dctain an entire edition of a news
paper, entailing heavy loss upon the
publisher. and yet when the matter
comes to a final trial the court may do
eide that the papers are mailable. The
damage has then been done The pub
Usher, and there seems to be-
no adequate remedy for him. Suppose
the politics OF a newspaper are objection.
ablo to the poStmastcrs generally, and
throughout the State they choose to
hold a paper because in their opinion it
is not mailable, it would thus put it
within the power of the postal depart
ment TO stop the circulation of n news
paper and bankrupt it, leaving the pub
Usher with q lot OF suits against post
masters as assets. Such state of affairs
leaves newspaper publishers without
| adequate remedy, and TO allow such ar
bitrary conduct on the part of oncious
postmasters is contrary to the institu-
tons of this government, and viola
ton OF the legal maxim that each
wrong has its adequate rcmcdy.-IIous-
ton (Tex.) Post, May lG.
False Economy
Is practccd by many people, who buy