Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-06
OWEN EXCHANGE
BILL CALLED
TYRANN|CAL
Forbes Denounces Measure That
Would Exclude Daily News
papers From Mails,
BY 3. c. FORBES

the lawmakers are chiefly to blame
They rush through crazy bills to ap.
pease passing whims and outhurs.s
The excitement subsidies, the laws be
come a dead letter and nobody trou-
bles any more about them.
The moral effect Of passing every
year thousands-yes, thousands oil
statutes and letting half Of them BE-
trsmpled upon with impunity is yer,
bad II vitiates respect for law Z
drags the functions of government in
the mire.
With that by way of INTRODUCED III
let me bring to public notice and,
hope, indignant condemnation bill
under discussion at Washingt on,
which, in principle. as un-Amer! T.
can, al tyrannical and as repugnsnt
to our national spirit of freedom as
any proposal ever propounded by 4
Federal legislator.
refer to the so-caled owen bill
dealing, ostensibly only with stock
]
mentary liberties OF every citizen.
The bill. among other things, would
make 1t crime, punishable by i'm
prisonment for you to mail "A news
paper containing the regular record Of
stock exchange transactions such as
every daily paper carries!
only under extraordinary and
pressing circumstances should Amen
can citizens permit even Government
officials to tamper with their right tc
communicate with one another ~
mail.
Almost Is soon let US encourage ar
bitrariIy abolishing our birthright oi
free speech
Here is how the bill starts off aft
er the preliminary be it enacted"
That no letter, package, circu-
lar, pamphlet, postcard, newspaper
or other form of printed OF writ
ten statement, or partly printed
and partly written, and no quo
lation 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 at or through any
gfg.ff Hoe. !.
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 il 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-
cation of said exchange,
Were | addressing purely finan
cial audience | would specify a scor,
of pertinent objections to the prov.
Sions of this revolutionary measu--
But 1t is not for financial reasons tina
would urge very citizen to rehe
against 1t. II IL for the one ample
all embracing reason that It seeks I,
obtain for Government officials-no
popularity elected at that-such pow
erS over their liberty Of action tina
even the Gar or the Sultan of Fan
zihar would hesitate to ask TIL
right Of every citizen. tie right q
every human being, 10 use the mail q
too sacred to be tempered with saw,
for the most urgent and exceptional
cause
II Is unthinkable that Congress vii
seriously entertain this owen bill. r,
me il is inComprehenSible how a ma
of Senator owens wisdom and broad
mindedness, q man who keeps I
touch with the people and with IN,
Intelligent thought Of the nation
could have been prevailed upon to "a
Their such barbariC, 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 &
tu lay hands 80 unnecessarily an,
cavalicrly upon so cherished an in
stitution as the mail service and az
lied means Of communication.
II there should unexpectedly -ap
pear 10 be the slightest danger of N,
measure being Countenanced by Con
gress, II viii become the duty @
everyone possessing knowledge Of IN,
matters with which II treats to spedi
out plainly and TO disseCt the biz
clause by clause.
\ lot OF Claptrap may he indulge,
I'm by those hrimful of ignorance NJ
the desira hiHty e. regulating stool
exchange" preventing stock iohhin.
frauds bringing Wall street to IL
senses etc, etc. Those least hand
capped by practical knowledge viii
no doubt, do the most pratinR
IN IS my business to study sue
matters, and ! can assure those VIII
choose 80 attach the slightest ere
donce TO my word that the owen hi
Is as Objectionable a piece OF law
writing as ever came under their =
my notice