Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-02-21
sWashin9tou Standard
MADDEN TACKLES BRYAN.


And now Fourth Assistant Postmas-
ter General Madden is making war on |
Brvan's CommOner. He says that Mr. |
BRYAN, like Wiltshire who was driven |
to Canada to publish his magazine, is
advertising "theory" or doctrine"
and that the Commoner, therefore, is |
not entitled to be sent through the
mails at the second class rate granted
by law to legitimate newspapers.
However, for the present only free
copies being sent to Congressman are
excluded from the mails at the ordi-
nary rate. According to Madden's
peculiar views no paper or magazine
containing editorials advocating any
political theories" or " doctrines" is
entitled to be cent through the mails
at the pound rate. Under this mon
strous ruling, the Fourth Assistant is
gradually discriminating against all
anti-Republican papers that do not
meet his approval. So far not a sim
gle Republican paper has been mo-
Tested, although they also advertise
doctrines" and theories" and send
free copies to Congressman ad ibitun,.
There lies on our desk at this mo-
ment an offer to send the Critic for
one year, and fourteen volumes OF
Theodore Roosevelt's writings as a
premium for only five dollars, yet Mr..
Madden is not enforcing his rule on
the offering of premiums against the
Critic. Perhaps the advertisement OF
Roosevelt's works is the redeeming
feature in this instance. But news
papers and periodicals in general have
been notified that the offering of pre-
miums as an inducement for subscrip.
tions is illegal and will be deemed suf-
ficient cause for excluding the offend.
er from the second-class mailing privi-
lege.
1t is plain that Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Madden is big
oted freak, who should be kicked out
of the Post Office Department and
placed where he can do no further
harm. The fact that President Roose.
welt has retained Madden in Office in
spite of the protests against his high.
handed methods would indicate that
such tyrannical censorship of the
press meets with the approval of the
imperial Theodore. Strong proof Of
this disposition on the part of the
President was given by his treatment
OF Wiltshire, whose appeal to the chief
magistrate was referred back to the
presumptuous subordinate by whom it
was made.
It is about time for the Democratic
minority in Congress to take up in
dead earnest this question of the cen.
sorship Of American newspapers. Al
great fuss was made few days ago
about the press censorship in Manila,
but not word was said about the
more serious press censorship being
enforced by this fellow Madden in
free America. What becomes OF the
constitutional guarantee OF tho free
dom of the press, ii newspaper can be
excluded from the mails because they
advocate political principles not in
harmony with the policies OF the party
in power? When American editors
have to 60 into British territory in
order to have the privilege of dissent.
mating their views through the mails
at lawful rates it would seem that
something has gone wrong with the
workings OF our system of free govern
ment.
Madden's excuse for all this outra-
geous discrimination against opposi.
tion papers is, that the second.class
mailing privilege is grossly abused and
the expense of conducting the postal
service is thereby greatly increased.
But he does not say . word about the
frauds committed upon the govern
ment by the railroads through false
weighing Of the mails. There is the
principal cause Of the deficit in the
postal department..
Madden should be unceremonious-
~ dismissed from the service. If
President Roosevelt clings to such
creatures as this he will have to share
the odium to which their conduct will
condemn them in the opinion Of fair
minded Americans.
Reflections Of Bachelor.
Take care of the pennies and the
pounds will spend themselves.
What . man wants to do with q
woman is to love her in her way and
let her love him in the same way.
You can fool q woman into think.