Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-24
NOW THE ANARCHIST
PRESIDENT GETS AFTER A PAT
ERSoN, N. j., NEWSPAPER.

y
Andrew Mcbride received yesterday a let
ter from Secretary Loeb showing that the
President was directly responsible for the
temporary order issued by Postmaster
General Meyer excluding the anarchist
weekly paper La QUESTION: Sociale from
the mails.
The letter was in reply 10 one sent by
the mayor appealing for the President
powerful aid" in the effort being made
to rid Paterson of anarchists. With it
Mr. Loeb inclosed. at the Presidents di-
rection. a copy of the letter the Presi-
dent had written. to the Department of
Justice concerning the publication in ques-
tion This communication. in which the
President told what he thought OF anarchy
and anarchists, was as follows:
The Presidents Letter.
ITO the Department of Justice:
by my direction the Postmaster Cen
eral is to exclude La QUESTION: Sociale of
Paterson y. j.. from the mails. and it
will not be admitted to the mails unless
by order of the court or unless you adj
wise me that it must be admitted. Please
see II it ~ not possible to prosecute Grim
inally under any section of the law that
is available the men that are interested
in the sending out of this anarchistic and
mUrderOus publication. They are, OF
couI Sc. the enemies of mankind and every
effort should be made to hold them ac-
countable for an Offense far more in
famous than that of any ordinary muir
der.
This matter has been brought to my
attention by the mayor of the city OF
Paterson. l wish every effort made to
get at the criminals under the federal
law 1t may be found impossible TO do
this | shall also. through the Secretary
of State call the attention of the Governor
Of New Jersey to the circumstances. $50
that he may proceed under the state law,
his attention being further drawn to the
fact that the newspaper is circulated in
other states. After you have concluded
your investigation l wish report from
you to serve as basis for recommended
tons by me for action by Congress.
Under section 1885 of the Revised Stat
utes lewd, obscene and lascivious books
and letters. publications for Indecent and
immoral uses. or of an indecent and i'm
moral nature. and postal cards on which
indecent and scurrilouS epithetS are writ
ten or printed are all excluded from the
mails and provision is made for the fine
and imprisonment of those guilty
THE newspaper article in question adv"-
Gates murder by dynamite. 1t specifically
advocates the murder of enlisted men of
the United States Army and officers of
the police force and the burning of the
houses of private citizens. The preaching
of murder and arson is certainly as i'm
moral as the circulation of obscene and
lascivious literature. and if the practice
should be forbidden
The immigration law ROW prohibits the
entry into the United States of any per-
son who entertains or advocates the views
expressed in this newspaper article. 1t
is OF course inexctlsable to permit those
already here to promulgate such views.
"ThOse who write, publish and circulate
such articles stand on the level with those
who use the mails for distributing poisons
for the purpose of murder, and convictions
have been obtained when the mails have
been used for the distribution of .poisons.
No law should require the Postmaster
General TO become an accessory to murder
by circulating literature of this kind.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Paterson Mayors Letter.
In his letter 10 the President Mayor
Mcbride wrote Of the many articles that
have been published in La QUESTION: So
ciale denouncing the law and melting tc
violence and riot. and appealed 10 the
Post Office Department TO exclude the
publication from the mails, but without
| result. He added:
THE reputation of our city has suffered
in consequence. Her fame has become
Infamous and her good name byword
and reproach. Anarchy has name
she needs must have a habitation. Gu,
city is called the headquarters and cen
ter of the group. the breeding ground and
plague spot of anarchistic contagion. Pat
erson as a city OF this great American
commonwealth appeals to your powerful
aid. l appeal to you as mayor of a law
abiding community. proud of their kin
ship with the American people. for your
forceful influence. Almost the entire
circulation Of the paper is through the
mails. and to deny this service to the pub
fishers would be the most effective means
of suppressing it.
Relieve us by excluding from the United
States mails this publication and you will
earn the deepest gratitude from thank
full people
Post Office inspectors finished their ex-
animation of the files and records of the
publication this afternoon and sent "A
report to the Postmaster General. This
| report will be used in the hearing to be
granted the publishers of La QUESTION:
Sociaie at the Post Office Department il,
Washington Wednesday next when
the temporary order will be either dis
J missed or made permanent. Mayor Nc