The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-03-12

is an example Of what lengths men
will 20 to In order to protect them
selves and their acts from the knowl-
edge OF the people.
The purpose OF the Penrose bill is
TO give the postmaster general extra
ordinary power by which be VIII be
In position To put out OF existence
any newspaper which had the temer-
ity TO critIcIse any act OF himself-.o
the questionable act OF any public
ufiicial. There Is no doubt but what
the Intention OF the sponsors for the
bill was that 1t would ne introduced
and passed without the newspapers
becoming aware OF the drastic nature
OF the bill. until 1t was too late for
redress.
The evident object OF the bill was
TO annlbilate the Appeal TO Reason,
which has been thorn In the side OF
the administration ever since 1t ex.
posed the connection OF President
Roosevelt with the rotten Alton deal.
This socialist organ showed that
Roosevelt signed the bill, when gov
ernor OF New York, which permitted
Hartman TO wreck the Alton railway
and rob the people out OF thirty mil.
lions OF dollars. The Appeal TO Rea.
son had the facts down so pat that
neither Roosevelt nor none OF his
friends have been able to refute the
charges made by the paper.
Since then the hencbmeD OF the
administration have prosecuted and
prosecuted the Appeal In every imag-
Unable way. There Is case In the
courts now against that paper on the
charge OF SANDER, the foundation OF
the charges Is on account OF Offering
a reward for the kidnapping OF Tay-
Tor and returning him TO the author
tiles OF Kentucky. This may be
SANDER, but IL will be hard to so
convince the people.
This paper Is not fighting the bat
ties Of the Appeal to Reason, but the
organ Of the socialists has as much
right TO exist, as long as IL makes no
reasonable charges, as The Recorder
or any republican paper. IL the Pen.
rose bill should tecome law the
postmaster general would have a
right to declare that The Recorder
was inimical to the interests of the
country because 1t advanced theories
OF government antagonistic TO the
party In power. The purpose of the
bill Is contrary to every sentiment Of
freedom; and would be the entering
wedge Into a system OF censorship
compared to the difficulties OF which
the press OF Russia and Germany
have TO contend, Is but an idle dream.
Senator Penrose Is from the over.
whelmlng republican state Of Penn.
sylvania; a state which has become
80 rotten with graft add theft that
1t is a stencil In the nostrils Of the
states which have even a modicum OF
decency. Pennepacker and Penrose.
through subservient and venal leg.
islatuie, secured the passage OF H.
BILE law, with no other purpose
than TO muzzle the press and intiml-
date so that they would not dare TO
publish their acts and robberies.
The law was dead letter, because
public sentiment was not back OF It's
enforcement, but II showed what
the disreputahle prafters were capable
Of had they the power.
BY placing such autocratic power
In the hands Of the postmaster gen.
eral, who Is responsible to no one but
the president, II Is hard to conceive
to what length some men might 20
In order to annihilate opposition
to their will. While The Recorder Is
not UNFOLDING tho radicalism OF the
yet we recognize tie fact
that u has the means OF securing
some Information which Is suppressed
In the daily papers, for obvious rea-
sons. So long as that paper Is not
proved guilty Of an overt act OF trea-
son II has as much right to advocate
the theories OF socialism as The Re.
corder has right TO ad9ocate democ.
racy or the Chicago Tribune republl.
II Is TO be hoped that there
are enough just and honorable men
In congress to bury this bin 81 deep
under an avalanch OF votes that Pen
rose viii be careful In the future to
not be such a subservient tool OF his