The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-10-16

veying news or disseminating infor-
nation, and enlightening and shaping
public opinion. 1t is hard to conceive
of any motive for it, unless IL be a de-
sire to establish espionage, super
vision or restraint over the press of
the country in behalf of the govern
ment or those who have part in the
exercise of its powers. 1t is q seri-
GUS question whether it does not fall
under the constitutional prohibition
of making any law "abridging the
freedom of speech or of the press"
and whether it may not have the Of
feet of impairing the value of prop
erty in some cases, thereby depriving
its owners of some part of it with
out due process of law" 1t is alto
gether doubtful whether such an en-
actment comes within the constitu-
tional power of the Federal Congress
in any case. It is absolutely certain
that Withholding the privilege of the
mail as a means Of Furnishing a fell
ure to comply with such requirements
would be an enormous abuse of such
power. The mail service of the gov
eminent for every legitimate pur-
pose of business should be open to
all alike, and if it can be closed
against any one class as penalty for
anything that may be made an offense
by doubtful enactment, there is hardly
limit that can be set to this abuse.
1t is not for this that the power ITO
establish post offices and post roads"
is granted by the constitution. 1t is
certainly the duty of those Immediate
ly affected in this case to have the
Wildly of such an enactment fully
tested.
The Journal of Commerce need
hardly remind its readers of the in
dependence of its editorial columns.
In ownership and in every other bust
ness relation it is absolutely free and
/ Independent. and has no interest
whatever to serve or consider in the
slightest degree, except what it be-
leves to be sound policy. In the
publication of news it's policy is the
same. Paid news matter is rigidly
excluded Only the advertising col
umns are for sale. When advertis-
ing possesses news value, such as an
important bond issue, a change in
time table or any other unobjection-
apt to be referred to in the news
columns with or without advertising.
In the case of book notices and theat-
rical reviews, which the law absolute
ly says shall be marked "adv.." the
considerations received are simply a
copy of the book review and a ticket
of admission for the dramatic writer.
To use the mails as an instrument
of punishment where no moral or
reasonable crime has been commit
ted, or i'm cases having no relation to
the Post Office, is dangerous abuse
of Federal power. To compel news
papers to publicly reveal details of
their private affairs, not required of
any other business, is grossly unjust
and inquistorial, savoring more of
Legislative spite than public welfare
And to compel newspapers to label
certain matter advertising which is
not advertising marks a step in the
direction of government censorship
that is highly Objectionable, and
should meet stout opposition from
every editor and publisher. The
American public is quite competent
to exercise all necessary censorship
of the press without aid from Con
gress or the government. This effect
to strike back at the press by a set
of extremists in Congress who have
felt its structures is of Importance to
every citizen who values a free press;
delay to the fact that the law may
be made still more stringent at the
opening of Congress, unless a determ-
ined opposition is promptly forthcom-
ing. The law should be repealed at
the first opportunity
For these reasons it has been deem
ed appropriate that the Journal of
Commerce put itself forward with
the concurrence of the American
Newspaper Publishers Association,
of which it is member, to have those
provisions of the Post Office appro-