The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-12-12
CATHOLICS SHOULD OBSERVE
"LETTER DAY."
Demand Legislation Excluding Putrid
Publications from the Mails.
One Example of Misuse Of Postal Serv.


All those Catholics VINO have not yet
written to their Congressman, Sen
ators, or to the Postmaster General in
regard to the exclusion from the mails
of the vicious publications which are
being used in the present anti-catholic
campaign should be sure to do so in
the near future, following up the agi-
tation of Tuesday, December Sth, the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
This day, which is the patronal day OF
the Church in the United States, was
chosen as Letter Day" when the
voices of the Catholics in this country
could be heard in united protest
against the continuation of conditions
which at present exist and in the de.
mand for legislation in the form of an
amendment to our postal laws rrovid-
ing means for properly dealing with
such INSCRIPTIONS and lying sheets
threatening also as they do by their
revolving stories the morality of many
young people throughout our land. 1t
will be necessary, however, that this
matter be supplemented by further
action.
Under our existing postal laws, Post
master General Burleson has declared,
it is impossible to exclude these pa
pers from the United States mails.
They may send through the postal
service almost any matter they see fit.
provided it escapes certain technical
limitations. In Canada, as is well
known, different situation is to be
found. The laws of the Dominion grant
to the Postmaster General power to
suppress publications of the nature of
those which are circulating SO freely
in our country. AS result. the Men
ace upon it's appearance in Canada
was promptly informed that it would
not be granted mailing privileges in
that country and consequently our
northern neighbor is not suffering from
the bitter campaign which is raging
here. 1t is therefore imperative that
American Catholics should ask of the
legislators in Washington a law which
will give the necessary power to the
Postmaster General to exclude from
the mails any scurillous publication on
the order Of the Menace, the Liberator
and the Peril. This demand is GER
tainly fair one, for as conditions are
today nobody is safe from persecution
if the attack be couched in certain
vague but no less telling terms. Leg
islation Of the kind demanded is in
the interest not alone of the Catholics,
but of all good citizens.
AS an example of how the mails
are being misused in this regard it
may be stated that as late as Wednes-
day, Dec. End, the Central Bureau of
the Central Verein received from Los
Angeles through the postal channels 1,
copy Of the pamphlet, 1.-The Horrible
Fate Of Victor Lamar" reciting the
most revolving charges against Father
Reynolds. of Las Vegas, New, and de.
scribing the matter in most disgusting
details-all Of which charges have
been proven false by the investiga.
ton Of detectives in Los Angeles, the
district attorneys office and the cor
oner's jury. as fully shown in 1.-THE
Viper's Venom" pamphlet issued by
the Central Bureau. The fact that
this book, describing these revolving
matters, is allowed to circulate freely
through the mails is sufficient proof In
itself that 1t is time for some action
TO be taken to halt such procedure
When 1t is remembered that this Of
fence is repeated in thousand differ
ent ways and every week through the
papers previously mentioned and many
others of their type, the necessity fol
this is seen to be all the greater. Cath
olics certainly have but little excuse tt
make for not making use of the ad
vantage offered by Letter Day" ant
the agitation planned to begin on thai
day. They should be sure to register
their demand for new legislation or
this subject with their representatives
in Washington within the next few
weeks.
The Labor Council of Galveston
Texas, has headed a movement in that