The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
CENSOR FOR THE PEOPLE.
GEN. JONES DECIDES WHAT Is coon
FOR THEM TO READ.

POstOfHce observation-disclosures That
J Are on the Prohibited LIst-Im-
proper stun That Flows Into the
Dead Letter once and what he
! comes of Il.
From the Hartford Times.
/ This government has a censor. His
name is Gen. Frank II. Jones. ana he
/ holds the office OF first assistant pOstmas-
/ ter general. His business is to determ-
/ inc what sort Of literary matter or pic
I lures may properly be considered as
coming under the head Of immoral"
/ OF course. all such stuff is excluded by
/ law from the mails.
Gen. Jones may be said 10 edit the In
dex Expurgatorius of the postofice de-
/ partment. This is the list Of books and
/ other publications which have been for
mally and forever shut out Of the United
States mails It includes a large number
! Of works more or less wei known, such
as why Monks Should Wed and Toll
stoi's "Kreutzer Sonata" But the titles
are carefully kept from the public. be-
/ cause to make them known would pro-
duce exactly the effect that is sought to
be avoided-that is to say, it would serve
as a most capital advertisement for the
books in question.
The postoffice department had lesson
on tins point during the W anamaker
regime. The 'KreutZer Sonata having
been shut out of the mails IN several Eu-
ropean countries, was translated into
English and put on the market Dy an en-
terprising American publisher The post
master at New York thought that the
book came under the law already refer
red to, and the matter was referred to the
authorities in Washington, II was decl-
ded at headquarters that Tolstois work
was remarkably rotten and unht for de-
cent people to read-outside Of Boston,
where indecencies are neutralized as 1t
were by a severe literary criticism.
Nothing better could have been desired
by the enterprising publisher aforesaid.
All the newspapers spread the news that
the "Kreutzer Sonata had been smut
out of the mails by Wanamaker on ac-
count of its immortality. Immediately
everybody was anxious to read II. Inc
book sold like wild-fire; stacks OF copies
were to be found on every book-stall and
newsstand, and through every train went
strong-lunged boys shouting: Buy the
great immoral book, suppressed by wanna
maker and the Gar of Russia" The pub
Usher hired all the presses he could get,
and for weeks they were kept at work
night and day, trying to keep up 10 the
demand for the Objectionable work.
The postoffice department complains
that New York is the chief center for the
production and dissemination or indecent
literature. Some Of the concerns engaged
In this business have Objectionable books
or pictures to dispose OF, or else nave
various articles lnlGnueQ lot llltBdl pui-
poses. Advertisements of such stuff are
sent to all sorts of people-to young men
at college to school boys, and actually, IN
some cases, to young ladies at boarding
school, lists of whose names are easily
obt1inable. Investigation of the subject
has resulted in the discovery that there
are persons who pursue this sort Of indus
try for sheer pleasure and not for gain.
Instances of such extreme moral turpi-
tude are not so rare as might be sup
! posed Not long ago man was sentenced
/ n
! diligence in the pastime Of writing inn
proper letters to girls in boarding schools.
The postoffice department has found it.
| self embarrassed by the difficulty Of secur-
| ing the conviction of criminals of this
! sort in New York. oddly enough, 1t is
sometimes argued with success in be-
| half Of the defendants that the stuff sold
| or otherwise circulated by them Is too
! disgusting to be dangerous to morals.
| Any way, the accused are apt 10 evade
| punishment, and by their escape are rem
| dered more bold and dangerous The last
| congress, however, passed law making
| such offenses continuous from the place
of destination This means that the Of
| fender may be tried at any place through
/ which his interdicted mail matter has
| gone in transit. The naughty pamphlet
posted in New York and addressed to
| San Franclcco may render the sender
liable to a trial by jury in Chicago or
| Buffalo.
There are 10000 postmasters in the
| United States. If any one of them dis
! covers that improper matter is presented
| to him Tor mailing, ne must refuse IL.
Not TO do this Is to render himself liable
| to reprimand and perhaps dismissal lie
| Is responsible for whatever is admitted
to the post at his Office. This applies to
practice to unsealed matter, for he can
| not tamper with sealed pieces or mail
| nor refuse to receive them on mere sus-
picion Whatever he does refuse is re-
turned to the sender, or, II the latter
is unknown, is forwarded to the dead
| letter office at Washington.
If the sender considers that he has been
4eaI ar,1ar let V
| has the privilege of appealing TO the post
| office department. In such case the
postmaster may be either sustained or
| oVerrued Again, If the postmaster is in
doubt, he may submit the dubious matter
| to the department for examination and
decision. In any instance of doubt or DIS
| pute the examination is made and the de-
dision rendered by the First Assistant
| Postmaster General If that official de-
| sIres advice he refers to the Attorney
| General Of the department, but the latter
has no control. The only censor for Uncle
| sam at present is Gen. Frank IA. Jones.
| IT often happens that matter is submit
! ted for Judgment to the postoftice depart
| ment by persons or firms who want to
| know whether or not ii Will be accepted
| for mailing Thus an art publishing con-
Germ might desire to sell a very pretty,
| hut decidedly improper photograVure II
| would not desire perhaps TO spend lot OF
| money in printing and mounting the pic
| the post An instance of this sort occurr-
| ed only the other day. In such case, as
! q rlllp. the department OtNitilNH " Aldhe
/ any ruling 1t replies that the opinion OF
! Tie postmaster-g general does not govern,
| and advises the applicant to read the law
! or to consult an attorney.
| This seems rather puzzing, but II is cas-
| ily explained II improper matter is put
! into the mails it is the business of the law
| branch of the government to prosecute,
| and not that of the postoftice department.
| Suppose that the postoftice department
| had already expressed its approval of the
| matter. Then a United States district at
| tornev might say: What do / care about
| the postoffice department? This IS business
| for the department of justice, and l am
| Going to prosecute" In other words, the
| question as to whether the matter is indie
! cent or not can be decided only by jury.
The postofice department will not take
] the trouble to edit literary stuff submitted
! TO il for Judgment, and it does not propose
| 10 serve as buffer between a person ac-
| cused and the department of justice.
Sealed matter bearing letter postage
! cannot be tempered with in the mails
| legally. but it ceases to be sacred when it
! has reached the dead letter office at
| Washington. The letters and packages
that come into that Office are first receipt
! ed for in a book, and then they go to a
long table at which a dozen clerks sit.
| There they are opened with great rapidity
! oDd daNfprity If one of them is found IN