The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-15
|,h,roe That Postoffice War Against
Magazines Is Really Onslaught
Against In
sursency.
has POLITICAL MOTIVE
pronounces il Blow at Liberty and
Effort to Tax the Free Press
Into Bankruptcy and
Oblivion.

ft 8
WASHINGTON. Feb. Samuel
d Blythe, one OF the foremost writ
ers and political students of America
makes the direct charge in an article
written for The United Press that the
effort to increase the postal rate on
magazines is part of a plot to stamp
out the progressive movement in
politics.
Blythe declared that it was an act
Of direct reprisal on the part of Pres
. ident Taft Postmaster General Hitch
cock, Speaker Cannon, Senator Aid
rich and s'all the Cannon and Aldiich
crowd In congress- The Blythe art
icle follows:
! copyright 1911 by The United Press
Associations. BY Samue G.
Blythe.]
Politics, not postal deficit, is the
underlying motive of the administra-
tion's attack on the magazine and
periodical press of this country
through the medium Of an increase ia
the second class postage.
Postmaster General Hitchcock has
his excuse in his alleged deficit.
. President Taft has his excuse in his
support of a cabinet member, who is
trying to put his department on self
sustaining basis. The administration
senators who tackled the amendment
on the postoince bill have their ex-
cuse in the demand Of the president
\that the increase. shall be nla ie They
\are making these excuses too now
that they are discovering how tnor-
oughly the people are aroused on the
matter OF using the taxing power Of
the government to confiscate--for that
is what 1t amounts to--a free press
that has dared to criticise and CON
demn certain acts of both the admin.
istration and the supporters of the
administration in congress.
Laying aside the economic fact
that the imposition of this tax by the
government means the ruin of the
magazine and periodical business in
tnls country, the absolute extinction
o. the popular magazines, look at the
poilues OF It. Three facts are certain
This tax IS a part of carefui-y
matured plan by the administration in
conjunction with the interests the
'epupilcan majority in congress have
served sixteen years. to stamp ont the
progressive republican movement in
1ae country by depriving that move
lneit OF its means Of publicity and its
MEDIUMS for the spread of its propa-
ganda.
--lt Is especially directed at the
newly formed progressive republican
ieague and at the progressives in CON
sfess who have been supported by the
lragazlne and periodical press in
,heir attempts to rid the country of
Alafcaism and Cannonism.
Ill is an act of direct reprisal on
.ne part Of the president, Hitchcock,
1ahncn. Aldrich and az the Cannon
ana Atdrich crowd in congress, OF
Whom there are seven on the com
'ni''ee that put the amendment in the
senate bill, intended to punish those
'asazlnes and periodicals that have
spoFen fearlessly about governmental
ana political abuses.
" course the publishers can make
lne case and are making it vigorously
anu ehectively-that this discrimina-
wy reprisal tax will bankrupt them
u y any of them can continue will in
es''aoly increase the price of the
popalar magazines to the reading pub
-, Dut that isn't the main point.
me vital thing that concerns the
psopie OF the country is that this adj
mlhlstration by exercising its taxing
lower, is endeavoring to- abolish a
nee press, not only in the interests
~ 'ts own political ambitions and
nose OF the men who serve It, hut
aiso in the interests and for the pro
.solion OF the financial powers il
seeks to serve.
me question is bigger than one OF
aohey, either in the governments
,urse or out OF the purses of the pub
SUNG business Is curtailed as it will
u this increase in second class
postage becomes law.
= IS a blow at the liberty guaran
~ under the constitution and is
psersive to every American idea
justice, fair play ana decent poll
cs.
Talk II to Death.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l5.--The mag.
mes announce that they have the
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