Semi-weekly herald., 1914-10-15

vote to put their newspapers under
the control Of the public utilities
board it would mean the absolute end
to freedom of the press. Every pub
lication in this state would be con-
trolled by this commission, and 1t
would be death blow to all news
papers, whether weekly or daily, pub
llished in Colorado or circulated in
Colorado.
"If there was Methodist newspa-
per and the board was sectarian, 1t /,
could even suspend the Methodist pa
per. If there should be a Catholic
newspaper, this board, if it were anti
Catholic, could suspend the Catholic
newspaper; and SO on with all the
other esctarian publications.
BUT THAT ISN'T ALL! This
public utilities board always will be
4 political, won't it? They have it in
their power, under this proposed
amendment, to suppress the papers Of
the opposite political party; and if
they would not go to the extent Of
suppressing the papers of the other
parties they would have the power
to harrass and annoy and pass such
rules as could prevent the opposite
party papers from being issued.
4. "This commission would have the
power to regulate tie rates charged
: for advertising or subscriptions.
. at is the most dastardly and cow
ardly and secret attempt ever made
!, to muzzle and control the public press
of the United States. If it were not
so vicious and murderous and destruc-
tive to the public interest of the state,
it would be perfect joke
"NoW THEN, LISTENl This ex-
plains the animus of the whole bill.
"The petitions initiating this bill
were circulated by that lily-white pa
triot, Andy Smithers, and his corpora
: ton tools, and the money was fur
nished for the printing and circula-
ton of these petitions by the late
: lamented Citizens Protective league
of Denver. that body Of corporation
) hirelings that bodily preached from
the street corners of this city the
hanging and burning and mobbing OF
the newspapers of this city that dis
agreed with the water conpany's at
: tempt to steal franchise. And there
$ is no doubt in the world that the 9TH
e err corporations took part and paid
y their share of the expenses for Andy
y Smithers and his followers to circu-
a late this petition, which would de-
:, stroy the freedom of thep ress of the
= state.
"The scheme originated in the
brain of Bill Evans and the water
company, just at the time when they
were debauching this community by
spending a half million dollars in a
vain effort to rob and maraud the
citizens of Denver for twenty years
more.
"And if the people of the state OF
Colorado should place all newspapers
o in this state, by voting this amend.
ment, under the control of the public
= utilities board, the corporations would
he In shl6e 6o,tt t9 steal anything, at any
have the power to suppress any news
paper, published anywhere in the
, state, or circulated in the state, ever
If published outside.
d "The corporations could boldly
force the papers either to suspend
publication, or do anything the cor.
porations wanted done.
"Of course, nobody will vote for
o this amendment, and the Post is call
ing your attention to it now, so that
: you may think and consider to what
depths of destruction the corporations
and the corporation tools and the cor
!. poration politicians will go to mubble
the press of this state.
"And let it be said to the eternal
disgrace of these corporations, that
Colorado is the first state in the Unit
ed States where such an attempt was
q made.
"The Post asks the press and peo-
pie of Colorado to take this question
up and see that every person in the
state understands the animus and the
purposes back of this amendment"