The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-03
ATKINSON DEFENDS HIMSELF
SENDING Or ALLEGED SEDIIIOUS
PAMPHLETS TO MANILA.
They Were Printed by Order of the
United States Senate--The People VIII
Decide Themselves What to do With
Amy Attempt to Forbid Free speech
and Free Mails.

Amy Attempt to Forbid Free Speech
and Free Mails.
Boston, May 2.-Hon. Edward AtRin-
son, vice president of the Anti-Imperial-
ist league, of this city, this afternoon
when shown the Washington despatch
stating that the postmaster general Of
the United States had directed that GER
tain pamphlets prepared by Mr.. Atkin-
son be taken from the malls to Manila,
said he had received no direct communi-
cation from Washington about the mat
ter. He explained that the documents
We're compilations of facts and figures
taken from the debates in the national
house and senate, and calling attention
| to points overlooked in debate. by ac-
ton of the senate Mr.. Atkinson con-
tinued, these compilations were pub
| lished as senate documents and they are
now public documents of the United
| States. Therefore any action taken to-
wards keeping them out of the mails
would imply that congressional records
and official documents of the United
States are unsuitable to be sent to ofii-
GERS Of the volunteer regiments now in
Manila, whose term of service has eX
pired and whose return to this country
is demanded by officials of certain states
who say that the men are entitled to
discharge.
1T is said that the dispatch of these
pamphlets from this country to the
Philippine Islands is barred lest they
should create discomfort and even mu-
tiny among the soldiers; that being
stated by the department to be the de-
sign Of these publications. There are
two pamphlets only. The first edition of
the first printed in November was dedi-
Gated to President Mckinley in support
of his statement that 'Forcible annexa-
tion would be criminal aggression. The
facts and figures given in that pamphlet
We're made the frequent subject of de-
bate in the house of representative and
the senate during the session, and the
pamphlet as a whole was finally printed
by order of the senate as senate docu-
ment No. 81. The second pamphlet was
issued late in February when 1t ap-
peared that acts of criminal aggression
were being committed in the Philippine
Islands. In that pamphlet certain facts
and statements were submitted to the
attention of the senate and were made
the subject of debate and that pamphlet
again by order of the senate was printed
as senate document. | have a copy Of
No. 81 and have sent for a copy of the
latter.
''These pamphlets were, on April oath
and 25th addressed by me to Admiral
George Dewey, Professor Worcester
General H. G. Otis, General Lawton,
General Miller and the correspondent of
the Illustrated Weekly, in Manila, None
others have to my knowledge been sent |
to any one | desired to send them to
other officers and for that purpose noti-
fled the war department of my inten-
tion and asked for a list that would |
give me the Names If it is unlawful for |
a citizen of the United States to COM
municate with other citizens of the |
United States in Manila by sending |
them documents in private edition |
which have been printed by order Of |
the United States senate as public docu-
ments, am content to leaye the matter
at that exact point, which requires no
from me.
II would, however, call the attention !
Of the postmaster general to the neces-
sity of requiring that all of these pa
pers lately printed here and elsewhere
which contain the late speech Of Sena-
tor Hoar given before the Republican
club in Boston, in which he used this
expressive phrase: i can see no differ
ance in the lynching of a southern post
master and lynching people because
they think a government derives its just
powers from the consent of the gov
srned, and got those ideas from the
of the United States be
aiken from the mails. If this attempt
% forbid free speech and free mails to
he people of this country has been
made, which ! cannot believe 1 think
he people will decide themselves what
o do about it,