Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-02-13

About Lottery Advertising.

somewhat ill-natured manner saao'
Several Sslins newspaper reporters,
who always judge others by them
selves, suspicion that Saturdays
Chronicle contained libelous article
because all copies which went through
the mail had a piece cut out. The
missing article contained nothing
libeloas and related only to a gener.
GUS Abilene clothing merchant who
away $50 in cash to a number OF
other people. The Abilene post.
master, who by the way is the "boss"
OF another Abilene paper. shut the
issue out OF the mails until the arti'
Gle was cut out. That's all, boys.
OF course, the evident insinuation
is that Postmaster Waring allowed
the REFLECTOR under similar condi-
tions to go through the mails while
forbidding the Chronicle the privilege
1t is a very contemplate sort Of sug-
gestion, the more SO as the managers OF
the Chronicle know better and one OF
them after investigation protested to
be perfectly satisfied that they we're
treated with absolute fairness. II is
not clear to the average man that
there is difference in personal pro-
.ession and newspaper profession but
the Chronicle management seems to
believe in separate rules for each.
The postal lottery laws are very
plain. They forbid sending through
the mails any publication advertising
lottery, drawing, gift distribution
or any similar scheme in which arti-
Giles or money are distributed BY
chance. They also forbid any refer
ence thereto or report Of the results
Of a drawing Of this sort. Adver'
tisements Of Abilene merchants an
nouncing gifts to purchasers Of goods
containing merely the words 6
given away free" have, on being re-
ferred to the posloilice headquarters
at Washington, been held to be un'
mailable. The law does not say such
gifts are illegal; circulars or person
ally distributed papers may contain
full details-but one cannot send such
publications through the United
States mails and the postmaster who
knowingly allows it violates a strict
ruling.
The papers Of town had been in
formed Of this ruling. The REFLECTOR
asked the privilege Of sending the list
Of prize winners through the mails
Saturday and was refused. II print
ed two editions Of the paper.-one for
distribution by its carriers, the other
for the mail. The latter did not have
the result OF the drawing. The
Chronicle attempted to send its paper
through the mail when it contained
the result OF the drawing and had tt
cut out the item.
Had Postmaster Waring allowed Q
violation OF the postal laws the
Chronicle would have been the first
to send in q complaint to Washington.
Because he did not do go it abuses
him in the columns Of the paper. IL
that a very fair or manly sort Of
actionp
We believe the US postal laws are
too strict on such mild forms Of gift
making as are INDUCED in by mer'
chants. We know that in some towns
papers print lottery results without
much respect for the laws-and ap
parently don't get caught at it. Bu'
the right way is to obey the ruling
and keep out Of trouble and Abilene
postmasteys have followed that plar
with excellent results and general ap
proval-except for the Chronicle.
Out ot Startling In Rica cOuntv Ont