The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-20
THE "NEWsPAPER LAW

Postoifice appropriation bill. The Trlb
o une is acting in connection with th'
o newspapers OF the United States IL
0 the full belief that this legislation Il
. Unconstitutional We have not tbs
slightest desire to oppose any ralid law
OF Congress. and so far as that Us con
cerned, we are complying with II II
as reasonable n way rs attorneys inter
\ pret the law; and in accord with the
] recommendation of the Amcrlcan
, Newspaper Publishers Association
which include the point that II is not
necessary TO print figures or clrcnia'
tion. We may say IN this connection
however. with respect to the circula'
ton Of The Tribune that the mail ana
order list at clock yesterday al
ternoon covered for this morning 5
Tribune 2S,251 copies. of which lo,"'o
are for Salt Lake City and suburbs
This is. in fact. the greatest genuine
newspaper circulation ever enjoyed py
any newspaper in Salt Lake, and we
mention il merely as an incident IN inc
daily presentation Of facts.
The contest against the vahd'tY q
this enactment by the American news
papers is by no means contumaclouS'
but is genuine and fair. lbe Ne"
York Journal of Commerce and ooh'
mercial Bulletin has presented the mat
Ter fully and fairly. and we take Pieas
ure in reproducing its statement OF '"o
case, which we consider covers 'he
=nf n
ground fully, fairly and IN no con.e".
tious spirit. The editorial OF our -'0"
York contemporary is as follows
Thora was concealed In the volumln,
ous nostoffice appropriation bill, passed
near the close Of the session or Con
gross. where it attracted no puoilc AT
fention and caused little discussion IL
either house. a provision requiring INC
editor. publisher, business manager Oh
owner of s'every newspaper, maga"ine,
periodical or other publication TO ne
with the postmaster general twice
wear, and publish IN It's second ISSUE
after the filing, sworn sta5enaene 5Jroas oe If
ting forth the names and actresses oi
its editor and managing editor, puo-
Usher. business managers ana owners
and Of the stockholders, If owned ny
a CORPORATION, and also the names OF
bondholders, mortgages and otheT Sc
curity holders In the case of daiIy
newspapers it requires statement OF
the "average of the number OF copies
of each issue OF such publication sold
or distributed 10 paid subscribers anr-
ing the preceding six months, Inc |
nenalty for failing TO comply with such |
reouirement within ten days after no. |
tice of such failure is the denial OF |
.1the privileges Of the mail. There
is another requirement. that any editor
ial or other reading matter, 'tor the
of which money or other
consideration is paid, accepted
or promised, shall be plainly marked
advertisement, ~ and the penalty for
violating this is fine Of $50 to $500.
tices. reviews or criticisms of books
and theatrical performances.
1t is hardly necessary to dwell upon
the reprehensible practice of enacting
in this insidious and half-concealed
manner provisions of law affecting
rights of property or large business
interest, or tho injustice Of applying
it to the particular business of purvey-
ing news or disseminating information,
and enlightening or shaping public
opinion. It is hard TO conceive of any
motive for it, unless it be desire to
establish espionage, supervision or re"
straint over the press of the country
in behalf of the government or those
who have part in the exercise of its
powers. It is a serious question wheth-
er it does not fall under the constitu-
Lional prohibition of making any law
'abridging the freedom of speech or
Of the press aud whether it may
not have the effect of impairing the
BY depriving its owners of some part
,f it without due process Of law
II is altogether doubtful whether such
IN enactment comes within the consti-
tutional power Of the Federal Congress
IN any case II is absolutely certain
hat withholding the privileges OF the
nail as means Of Furnishing a failure
TO comply with such requirements
would be an enormous abuse Of such
power. The mail service of the Govern.
nent for every legitimate purpose of
and il 1t can be closed against any
one class as penalty for ANYTHING
hat may be mado an offense by doubt. I
Iul enactment, there is hardly limit
hat can be set to this abuse. 1t is not
,or this that the power $50 establish !
)ostoffices and postroads'' ia granted
oy the Constitution, 1t is certainly the
iuty of those Immediately affected in
his case 70 have the validity of such
IN enactment fully tested l
The Journal of Commerce need hard
' remind its readers of the independ- ;
,nce of its editorial columns. In own
,rship and In every other business re.
alton it is absolutely free and indie 6
and has no interest whatever :
o serve or consider in the slightest de-
yree. except what il believes 20 be
ound public policy. In the publica-
ION Of uews its policy is the same
'ald news matter is rigidly excluded
)nly the advertising columns are for T
ale. When advertising possesses news j
Iaiue, such as an important bond issue,
! change in time table or any other m,
matter Of public interest 0
{ is apt 10 be referred to in the news b
columns with or without advertisinp, b
n the case of book notices and tbeaf.
1cal reviews, which the law sbsurdIv
avs shall be marked "adv..r tho con. S
tdcrations received are simply conv C
II the book reviewed and a ticket Of a
omission for the dramatic writer. 8
To use the the mails as an instrument
y punishment where no moral or trca. r
enable crime has been committed or t
n cases having no relation TO the post. r