The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-12-12

oiHcIalS at washington who
felt pang of remorse on
learning of the suicide of j.
A. Wayland, founder of the Appeal
to Reason. II they did then they are
not entirely beyond redemption If
they did not then there must surely
be men, utterly devoid of conscience,
in responsible federal positions.
j. A. Wayland was the victim OF a
long drawn out, merciless and mali
cious persecution conducted in
strictly legal form. It's object was
to force him to cease publication of
the Appeal to Reason. The cause of
this was that the Appeal exposed too
many facts which plutocracy did not
wish to have known.
The persecution started many
years ago when the postal authori-
ties tried to find some pretext for
barring the Appeal from the mails.
Ridiculous rulings were made to be
applied to no other papers than
those obnoxious to predatory inter-
ests. Since very few of such papers
have enough money to make much
of fight in the Federal courts, and
justice is unobtainable in these
courts without money to pay for red
tape, the postal authorities probably
did not expect serious opposition.
But the Appeal had many friends
who rallied to its support and sue
ceeded in winning out.
This attempt having failed and
the Appeal still pursuing the even
tenor of it's way, the Federal author
tiles considered it advisable to re-
sort to criminal prosecution. Ac-
cordingly trumped up charge of
libel was brought against the editor,
Fred Warren. The man "Iibeled"
was unquestionably at the time of
publication a fugitive from justice.
He was wanted in Kentucky to ans
wer an indictment for murder. He
had found refuge in Indiana where
the Governor refused to permit his
extradition. The ridiculously finn
sy character Of the libel" charge
may be understood on noting the
fact that the Federal authorities
would not allow the case to come to
trial because the 'libelled" man
would have had to go from Indiana
to Kansas to testify and have run the
risk of entering into a Jurisdiction
that would allow him to be delivered
to the kentucky authorities. But
at last a Governor was elected in
Kentucky who pardoned the fugi-
tive. That left him free to go to
Kansas and then the case was called.
At the trial the witness was asked
whether he was then under indict
ment. Of course he truthfully ans
wered mo" The Appeals attor-
ney then wanted to ask him whether
he had not been under Indictment
for murder at the time the offend
ing article was published. He was
not permitted to do so. Nothing
more is needed to show just what
kind of a deal the defendant got in
that court. He was convicted and
sentenced to stiff fine and long
term of imprisonment. But public
Indignation at the outrage forced
President TAFT to issue pardon, al
though Warren had positively de-
c1ined to ask for one.
But the prosecutions did not stop.
The Appeal had information concern
ing serious misconduct on the part
of officials in the Federal prison at
LeaYenworth. A complaint about
this was made privately to the prop
er authorities in Washington, the
charge being of nature that few
papers would care to publish un-
necessarily. An investigation was
ordered which resulted in white
wash. A guard who had testified