The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-03-21
PENROSE PROPOSES A U. S.
PRESS MUELLER.
Would Empower Postmaster General
to Exclude Any Publication.
NO LIMIT TO EFFECT,

special D1Spatch to Inc North Amer
lean:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13-senato,
Penrose has introduced a bill to pro-
vide for an absolute press censorship
In the hands Of the postmaster gen
eral. The bill provides: That Sec
ton 1898 Of the revised status be, and
the same is hereby amended, by add
ing: "And when any issue Of any
periodical has been declared non mail
able by the postoffice department, the
periodical may be excluded from Sec
ond-class mail privileges at the discre-
ton of the postmaster general"
The section of the revised status
amended by the bill relates to obscene
books, hamphlets, papers or other mat
ter. But the amendment is not con-
fined to such publications. it covers
all publications, without reference to
whether they contain obscene or indie
cent matter. It gives the postmaster
general arbitrary power over the pub
lie press Of the United States.
Penrose will say that his purpose
was merely to give the postmaster
general power to exclude from the
mails vicious publication This power,
however. the postmaster general al
ready has, so that the Penrose propo-
sition must have deeper purpose.
/ It cam be seen that with such a
postmaste general as would be Sc
lected by the corporations and their
senators, if they obtained control of
acter could be used to suppress or
h ;41>
their schemes.
A more pernicious diverting of legis-
lation than that embodied in the Pen
rose bill, is not to bes conceived An
act of congress provides that "con-
gress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohobit-
Ing the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech or
the press: or the right Of the people
peacefully to assemble and to petition
the government for redress Of griev-
ances.'
Declaring the bill to be most sub
versive, we present the following reso-
luton:
Whereas, Senate bill No. 1913 intro
duced by Senator Penrose to amend
section No. 1898 of the revised stat
utes, places in the hands of the post
hold any publication from secondclass
mail privileges, thereby suppressing It,;
and
Whereas, The complete emancipa-
ton Of the working-cl is only pos
sible through the action of progressive
legislation. and by defeating in pas
sage of all bills introduced and sup
ported by retainers of capitalism. that
may be reactionary in nature, i.e., the
triumph Of justice in opposing corpo-
rate greed; and
Whereas, The introduction of said
bill is plainly a covert act to destroy
or cripple the educational propaganda
of the labor and socialist press in gen.
eral and the appeal to Reason in
particular, because Of its unf1inching
stand in support of labor. it's great and
effective power in refuting the false
hoods of a subsidized capitalist press
and for its spreading economic truths
among the great masses Of voters;
therefore be it
Resolved, That, we, the Federated
Trades Assembly Of Duluth, Mimi. In
convention assembled hereby declare
| to be most unalterably opposed to the
| proposed violations Of our countrv's
constitution, and that such traficktns
with the peoples liberties belong te
ages centuries past; and be it further
I Resolved, That We still stand as All
! loyal Americans for Equal rights for
| all' and as citizens and voters demand
that the representative from this dis
trict vote. against the Penrose bill and
| use his influence and every faculty ia
| secure it's defeat.
The resolution was adopted by un.
animous vote Of the Assembly.