Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-06

J HtA rush through crazy bllS 10 - p
pease passing whims and outburs. S
The excitement subsidies, the laws be
come dead letter, and nobody trou-
bes any more about them
The moral effect OF passing every
year thousands-yes, thousands-oi
statutes and letting half OF them De
trampled upon with impunity is very
bad. 1t vitiates respect for law II
drags the functions of government in
the mire.
With that by way OF introducti IN
let me bring to public notice-and.
hope. indignant condemnation bill
under discussion at Washington
which, in principle. as un-Ameri o.
can. as tyrannical and as repugnant
to our national spirit Of freedom IS
any proposal ever propounded by a
| Federal legislator
refer to the so-called owen bill
! dealing, ostensibly only with stock
exchanges. but involving the rudi
mentary liberties OF every citizen.
|
The bill, among other thihgs, would
make it n crime, punishable by inn
prisonment. for you TO mail news
paper containing the regular record o!
stock exchange transactions such as
every daily paper carries!
only under extraordinary and
pressing circumstances should Amer
can citizens permit even Government
officials to tamper with their right tC
communicate with one another Jy
mail.
Almost as soon let US encourage ar
bitrarily aboishing our birthright u
free speech.
Here is how the bill starts off aft
sr the preliminary be it enacted"
That no letter, package, circu-
lar, pamphlet postcard newspaper
or other form Of printed or writ
ten statement, or partly printed
and partly written, and no quo
tation of any prices or any other
adViCes, report. information or
representation concerning trans
actions in securities sold or Of
fered for sale, or executed or TO
be executed or that are listed or
quoted on any stock exchange,
and no statement, account or
memorandum Of purchase or sale
or other information, notice or
demand regarding any purchase
or sale upon or on any stock eN-
change Of any security shall be
delivered or deposited or carried
in the mail or al or through any
postoftiCe or branch thereof or by
any letter carrier unless such
exchange has been Incorporated
under the laws OF the State or
Territory in which its business is
conducted, or unless the charter
and bylaws of such exchange or
he law under which II is organ
lied shall contain regulations and
prohibitions satisfactory to the
Postmaster General safeguarding.
the transactions of such exchange.
the character of the securities
dealt in thereon, the nuineneSs
of the Quotations thereof and all
other information concerning such
transactions that Is to be carried
through the mails and by tele-
graph and telephone beyond the
limits of the State of the organi-
zation of said exchange
Were | addressing a purely flnan
cial audience ! would specify a scor
of pertinent objections to the prov!
sions OF this revolutionary measu-.
But IL is not for financial reasons tina
would urge very citizen to rebe
against it. II is for the one ample
all emhracinr reason that ii seeks {
obtain for Government otliCialS-nO
popularity elected at that-suCh pow
ers over their liberty OF action tina
even the Car or the Sultan of Fan
zibar would hesitate to ask. TIL
right of every citizen, tie right q
every human being to use the mail .
too sacred To he tempered With say,
for the most urgent and eXceptiona
cause.
It is unthinkable that Congress vii
seriously entertain this owen dill II
me il is incOmprehensihe how a ma
of Senator Owens wisdom and broad
mindedness, q man who keeps
touch with the people and with IN,
intelligent thought of the nation
could have been prevailed upon To "a
Their such barbara, medieval child
Knowing the Senator, and knowini
something of his ideas OF what =
what. ! can not even dimly ConCeiV
how he could have shut his eyes 4
the ahhorrent the repulsive proposl
to lay hands so unnecessarily an,
caValierly upon SO cherished an In
stitution as the mail service and at
lied means of communication.
II there should Unexpected ly-ap
pear to be the slightest danger of n,
measure being Countenanced by Con
gress, It will become the duty e.
everyone possessing knowledge Of IN,
matters with which II treats to speal
out plainly and TO dsseCt the hil
clause by clause.
a lot OF Claptrap may be INDUCED
In by those hrimful Of ignorance OF
the desirability of regulating stool
exchange" preventing stock iobbins
frauds bringing Wall street to II
senses" etc. etc Those least handi
capped by practical knowledge win
no doubt do the most prating
J.; is my business to study sue
matters. and can assure those VIII,
choose to attach the slightest ere
dence to my word that the Owen hll
is as objectionable piece Of law.
writing ss ever came under their OF