The Washington herald., 1913-03-18
LAW BOTH UNJUST
AND PERNICIOUS
Newspaper Publicity Act Was Passed
by Triekery. as
Rider.

The Washington Herald is in full &c
cord with the following editorial senti
ments of the New York Times on tn,
newspaper publicity law. especially al
regards its circulation:
OF the publications affected by the Law
requiring publicity as to newspaper own
ership and circulation. 1t is stated by tn,
Postoff1ce Department that 81 per cen,
| have already complied with the law Thi.
means that nine-tenths OF the newspaper
have told their readers and the public
who owns them, to whom they owe
money, and how many copies they cir.
cuiate. The delinquents. We are told. sin
| clude daily newspapers in Boston, New
York. Philadelphia, Chicago. and St
Louis"
Has anybody observed any difference
between. the character and department
OF the nine-tenths who have obeyed the
law and that of the one-tcnth who arc
delinquent? Delinquent In what? Only
in this. that pending a court decision they
have declined to comply with the require
ments OF a vicious statute. The authors
and abettors Of this legislation attempt to
justify 1t by the argument that as news
papers are much affected with a public
interest. the public is entitled to know
who owns them. to the end that il great
capitalists or other malefactors are in
control of their utterances. their readers
may be informed of the fact. The owlish
stupidity of this reasoning has been per-
fectiy apparent to persons who UNDER
stand the relation between newspapers
and their readers. A newspaper Is judged
by its contents. by its news columns and
its editorial opinions. and in forming
their judgment upon these matters its
readers do not need to be told who the
owners are. A newspaper that does not
speak for itself Is very quickly found
out. So the new law is superfiuous.
II is unjust because it demands OF
newspapers disclosures that are not de-
manded in the case of other business
concerns. The law was put into the
postoffice appropriation bill as q rider"
a form of trickery in legislation that
has become so odious that Mr. Taft
exercised his veto upon an important ap-
preparation bill because of despicab.e
rider" while President Wilson has
caused 1t to be known that the insertion
Of riders will invite his veto. It Is
bad law, and that is reason enough
for resisting compliance with it's pro-
visions pending a decision Of the court.
II is because of the badness Of the law
that The Times has not published the
required statement. 1t is the general
principle, not the individual interest
that has prompted this newspaper to
acquire the distinction of being a delin-
quent.
So far as the disclosure of the facts
called for is concerned. The Times has
individually not the slightest reason ~
object. On the contrary. as will appear
II the statement has to be published.
The Times will have very good reason
for pride and satisfaction in the showing
made. II anybody is ignorant as 10
its ownership. The Times is willing that
the information should be given, and II
is impossible even to feign reluctance
to make known the figures of its Circu-
lation. The sole ground of objection and
delinquency is the character OF the
law, which is iniquitous and unjust. II
is monstrous to threaten the withdrawal
OF the privilege of the United States
mails against one class OF business con-
Germs for refusing to make disclosures
required from no others of a similar
character.