The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-04-04

mails which are far less offensive
in tone and not nearly so filthy in
content as the Aurora publica-
ton, and it is difficult for the or
binary person to understand why
an exception is made in favor Of
a paper whose sole raison d 'etre
is the vilifcation Of the Catholic
Church, whose every article is an
envenomed attack on the religion
of one-ffth Of the population of
the United States who, as the
facts of history clearly show, are
as patriotic and law-abiding as
any other group of citizens. Why
does the government of this coun-
try for which Catholics fought
and bled in days gone by, and for
the preservation of which they
are ready to do all that can be
demanded of the most loyal citi-
zens, allow them to be insulted
with impunity and held UP to con-
tempt and derision by a few ir-
responsible bigots who are en-
tirely unworthy of the best ira
ditions Of American citizenship
Surely, there must be niger
somewhere in the woodpile, and
he ought to be driven into the
open
The postal authorities cannot
plead ignorance of the existence
and contents Of the Menace.
Time and again their attention
has been called to it and they
have been asked to exclude it
from the mails on the plea that
it does not belong to the class OF
publications entitled to this priv,
lege. So far nothing has been
done. The postal authorities de.
clare that there is no legal method
of barring the Menace from the
mails.
On March Is, a prominent bust
ness man Of New York, addressed
a letter to President Wilson call
ing his attention to the character
of the Aurora sheet and asking
if it were not possible to exclude
it from the mails. This letter was
forwarded by the President to the
Honorable W. Fl. Lamar, Assistant
Attorney General Of the Pos
Office Department, who sent thu
following reply to the writer:
Post Office Department
Office of the Assistant Attorney
General.
Washington, March 81, 1914
Dear Sir:
Receipt is acknowledged o:
your letter Of the 18th instant tt
the President, with reference tt
the newspaper entitled "Th'
Menace of Aurora, Missouri.
Under the law the admissibility
to the mails of a newspaper o.
periodical is not affected by tn
insertion Of articles advocating
any particular views criticizins
the views held by others in mat
ters of religion or religious teach
ings or discussions, unless the Ian
guage used in such articles is oh
scene, lewd, lascivious, or filthy il
violation Of Section 211 Of tn
Criminal Code of the United
States, or unless there appears
"upon the envelope or outside
cover or wrapper" containing
them "libelous, scurrilous, Or de
famatory" written or printed
matter in violation of Section 81:
Of the Criminal Code Of thu
United States.
Enclosed for your information
is a printed copy of the sections
referred to.
Very respectfully,
! (Signed) w. HI. LAMAR,
Assistant Attorney General.
Any one who is at all familia
with the contents of the Menac
cannot help asking with astonish
ment how much obscenity, lewd
ness, lasciviousness or filth, de
famation or scurrility, are permit
ted before Section I'll is violated
Does the liberty Of the press meal
license to assassinate characte
and to SANDER inoffensive AM
law-abiding citizens because o
their religious belief?
10MEHIAnn nnITT