The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-24
WORSE THAN MURDERERs
President Urges Punishmcnt OF Anarcli-
list Publishers


PATTERSON. N. j.. March 23.--Presi-
dent Roosevelt states IN answer to an
appeal from Mayor Mcbride to ex-
clude La Questione sociale from the
mails for the purpose Of suppressng
the. publication that, besides directing
that the newspaper he denied the use
Of the malls. he has requested the
department OF Justice to make every
effort to prosecute criminally those re-
sponsible, for the. publication. A copy
partment of Justice was enclosed by
Secretary Loeb as the reply to the
appeal of Mayor Mcbride who made
public the Presidents letter tonight.
La Questione sociale" recently publish
ed an appeal of inflammatory charac-
ter which resulted in the action taken.
:, Presidents Roosevelt's letter to tho
department Of Justice as sent, to May
Or Mcbride follows:
..r, The White House.
49,, Washington. March 20, 1908.
To the Department of Justice:
BY my direction. the Postmaster
General Is to. exclude La Ques-
tione Sociale of Paterson. ~ j.,
from the mails. and 1t will not be
admitted to the mails unless by
order of the court, or unless you
admitted. Please see II IT is not
possible to prosecute criminally,
under such section of the law that
Is advisable. the men that are in
anarchistic and mnrderous publl-
cation. They are. of course, the
enemies of mankind. and every ef-
fort should be strained to hold them
accountable for an offense far more
Infamous than that of an ordinary
murderer.
This matter has been brought
to my attention by the Mayor of
the city of Paterson. ] wish every
effort made to get at the criminals
under the Federal laws. 1T may
be found impossible to do this.
shall also through the Secretary Of
Governor OF New Jersey TO the cir
cumstances so that he may proceed
under the State law. his attention
being further drawn to the fact
that the newspaper is circulated
concluded your investigation I wish
a report from you to serve as n
basis for recommendation by me
for action BY Congress. Under Sec
ton 3s93 of the Revised statutes,
lewd, obscene and lascivious books
and letters. publications for inde-
cent and immoral uses or of any
Indecent and immoral nature, and
postal cards upon which indecent
and scurrilous epithets are written
or printed, all are excluded from
the mail and provision is made for
the fine and Imprisonment of those
guilty.
''bNt-i a. AAiSAc III tlutS- |
ton advocates murder by dynamite.
II specifically advocates the mur-
der of enlisted men OF the United
States Army and the officers OF the
police force, and the burning OF
the houses OF private citizens. The
preaching of murder and arson is
certainly as immoral as the circu-
lation of obscene and lascivious
literature. and If the practice is
not already forbidden by the law
1t should be forbidden. The immI-
grafton law now prohibits the entry
nito the United States of any per-
son who entertains or advocates
the views expressed in this news
paper article.
1T is, of course. ineycusable TO
permit those already here to pro-
mitigate such views Hose who
write. publish and cireulat, those /:
articles STAND on the level with
those who use the mails for dis
tributing poisons for the purpose
OF murder. and convictions have
been obtained when the mails have
thus been used for the distribution {
OF poisons. No law should require
the Postmaster-General to become
an accessory to murder by circu- ,
lating literature of this kind.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Post-oftice inspectors have commenced
I investigation of the newspaDer