The Detroit times., 1911-02-14
BY SAMUEL @. BLYTHE.
Copyright 1911 BY the United Press
AssocIation.)

Politics, not a postal deficit Is the
underlying motive OF the administers,
tons attack on the magazine anu
periodical press of this country
through the medium Of an increase In
second-class postage.
Postmaster-Ge General Hitchcock mas
his excuse In his alleged uehci.'
President Taft has his excuse In ms
support of a cabinet member VINO II
trying to put his department ON
self-sustaining basis. The administra-
t,on senators who tackled the amend
ment ON the postofYice bill have their
excuse In the demand OF the pIesauens
that the increase shall be MADE ihey
are making these excuses TOO NJ"
that they are discovering now tnor
oughly the people are aroused on 'he
matter of using the taxing power OF
the government TO confiscate-for tha'
is what IL amounts to--a free press
that has dared to criticise and con
denim certain acts of both the admin
isfration and the supporters OF the ao'
ministration In congress.
LAYING aside the tremendous econ
omic fact that the imposition OF tnis
tax by the government means the rum
az the magazine and periodical Dust
meas In this country, the absolute ex'
tinction OF the popular magazines
look at the politics OF 1t. Inree
facts are certain:
This tag Is a part OF carefully
matured plan by the administration
In conjunction with the interests tne
Republican majority In congress nave
served sixteen years, to stamp out tne
progressive Republican movement 10
this country by depriving that move.
ment of It's means Of publicity ana its
mediums for the spread OF It's propa'
ganda.
2. II Is especially directed at the
newly-formed progressive Republican
league and at the progressives In con-
gress. who have been supported oy
the magazine and periodical press In
their attempts TO rid the country OF
Aldrichism and Cannonism.
8. II Is an act of direct reprisal on
the part of the president, Hitchcock,
Cannon, Aldrich and all the Cannon
and Aldrich crowd In congress, OF
whom there are seven on the commit
tee that put the amendment In the
senate bill, intended to punish those
magazines and periodicals that have
spoken fearlessly about governmental
and political abuses.
or course. the publishers can MAKE
the case, and are-making IL vigorousi,
and effectively, that this discrimina
tory reprisal tax win bankrupt them
or IL any of them can continue. VIII
inevitably increase the price or popu
lar magazines to the reading public
but that isn't the main point.
The vital thing that concerns the
people of this country Is that th.'
administration, by exercising Its tax
ing power, IL endeavoring to abolish
free press, not only In the Interest,"
Of Its own political ambitions ant
those of the men who serve II, but also
I'm the interests and for the protection
of the financial powers 1t seeks e
serve.
The question Is bigger than one O
money. either In the government
purse or out Of the purses OF the pub
fishers and the thousands OF men WHIT
will be thrown cut Of employment u
the publishing business Is entailed, al
it will be IL this increase In SECOND
class postage becomes a law.
II Is a blow at the liberty guaran
teed under the constitution. and u
sui yersiye - every American idea o
Justice, fair play and decent politics