The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-02-15
ROOSEVELT SAYS
SUPPRESS STORY
Wants ThaW Scandals Kept Out OF
the Mails.
ANGERED BY THE GOTHAM PRESS,
President Believes That Certain New
York Newspapers That Have Been
Printing Obscene Details of Trial
Should Be Barred From Government
Mails.

Washington, D. c. (SpeciaD. =
President Roosevelt Monday took
cognizance of the reports that have
appeared in some sensational news
papers of the proceedings in the
Thaw trial in New York. The proceed
ings are. in most cases, a carefully
edited and expurgated version of the
testimony of Mrs. Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw. Mr.. Roosevelt has read the
reports in a number of New York
papers and is indignant at what he
had read and feels that it is improp-
er that such testimony should be dis
seminated all over the country. Ac-
cording1y, he sent communication
to Postmaster General Cortelyou to
learn eff it be feasible to bar from
the mails the newspapers that give
the fun disgusting particulars OF the
TdaRw case Mr.. Roosevelt does not
know whether 1t is feasible, but If
it is he wishes 1t to be done.
Ct is stated that a number OF the
New York papers which have Offend
ed the President in this particular
have been barred from the White
House. Postmaster General Cortel-
you is thoroughly alive to the i'm
portance of the task which President
Roosevelt has assigned him. He has,
refused to discuss the matter, except
to permit it to be understood that
he is in consultation with the law
officers of the Pcstoffice Department,
and that he may even call upon the
Attorney General for his advice be-
fore he takes any action.
Postmasters As Press CensOrs.
It is further recognized that should
Mr.. Cortelyou, on the advice of the
law officers of the department, ac-
Quiesce in the Presidents wishes to
exclude certain Objectionable news
papers from the mail, the actual exc
cution of the order would entail no
little difficulty. The postmaster in
each city would have to act each af-
ternoon before the publication of af-
ternoon papers, and each night be-
fore the publication of a morning
paper as a censor, and upon his de-
cision would depend the fate of the
mail editions of the papers. 1t is
not to be assumed that the decision
of any two postmasters would be the
same and, accordingly, there would
be the amazing supectacle of certain
papers being excluded from the mail
on the Iaere dictum of postmaster,
while the newspapers of an adjoin-
ing town printing the same testi-
mony ould be admitted to the mail
because that postmaster's views were
not as stern as those of his colleague.
AS a matter of fact, it is not be-
lieved that the Postoffiee Department
win make any attempt to interfere
with the papers. It is not believed
that there will be any occasion to
repeat the offense which has aroused
the indignation of President Roose-
'veit
Protested BY Telegraph.
1t has been suggested that sim
pier and more effective remedy is in
the hands of Justice Fitzgerald, who
is presiding over the Thaw trial. 1t
is entirely within his province to
warn the reporters that they must
exercise discretion and circumspec-
ton In the accounts which they write
of the trial. and that their editors
must further expurgate the copy to
o proper condition of propriety and
to warn them that a disregard of
this Injunction will bring down upon
them punishment for contempt OF
,Nourf