The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1907-02-14
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 Fro n Government
Mails.

Washington, d. G. (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
fngs 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-
cord1ngly, he sent a communication
TO postmaster General Cortelyou to
learn IF it be feasible to bar from
the mails the newspapers that give
the full disgusting particulars of the
ThaW CASE Mr.. Roosevelt does not
know whether ii is feasible, but IL
1t is he wishes It to be done
1t is stated that a number of the
New York papers which have offend
cd 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 Postoffice Department,
and that he may even call upon the
Attorney General for his advice be-
fore he takes any action.
POstmasters As Press Censors.
1t 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 mere dictum of a postmaster
while the newspapers of an adjoin-
Ing town printing the same testi-
mony would 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 Postofflce Department
will make any attempt to Interfere
with the papers. 1t is not believed
that there will be any occasion to
repeat the offense which has aroused
the indignation of President Roose-
velt.
Protested BY Telegraph.
1t has been suggested that a 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-
tion in the accounts which they write
Of the trial, and that their editors
must further expurgate the copy to
a proper condition of propriety and
to warn them that a disregard of
this injunction will bring down upon
them DuniShment for cOOtomDt of