Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-02-11
A Danger Point

N DduSCT OlLC.
Editor Tidings: There are two
very strong, carefully worded bills
before congress, which if allowed to
become law will abridge all freedom
of and place a close censorship on
the press and place an absolute and
arbitrary power of the press in the
hands of the postmaster general,
with no possible opportunity for re-
dress by law on the part of the pub
fishers.
Bill No. H. R. 2O7SO, by Mr.. CALI
van, in brief grants unto the postmas-
ter general the power to exclude from
the mails ANY scandalous, scurrilous,
indecent or immoral books, PAM
phlets, pictures, prints, engravings,
Autographs, photographs or other
publications which are or are repre-
sented to be a reflection on any form
of religious worship practiced or held
sacred by any cotizens of the United
States.
While bill No. H. r. 20644, by Mr..
Fitzgerald, would bar the use of the
mails to any person or his represent
ative engaged "in the business of
publishing any obscene or immoral
books, pamphlets, pictures, prints,
engravings, Autographs, photographs
or other publications, matter or thing
of an indecent, immoral, scurrilous
or libelous character"
These bolls are so sweeping in
their consequences and so evidently
designed for the protection of the one
class that are pressing this into law
that it would not seem probable or
possible for them to succeed, but the
danger lies in no protests being made,
and only the defenders of the bills
being represented.
Let it be understood that we are
not defending the use of the mails
for the transmission of publications
of the character mentioned in the
bills. But as liberty-loving Ameri-
can citizen we must most vigorously
protest against any legislation which
would absolutely destroy the freedom
of the press and place the power of
adjusting these real or imaginary
grievances in the hands of one man,
to be arbitrarily acted upon with no
possible recourse to the courts of law.
And second, the fatal objection to
this proposed legislation is that it is
unconstitutional, for the first amend
ment to the constitution declares that
congress shall make no law abridging
the freedom of speech or of the press,
and thereby the right of free discus
sion is granted to all the people, and
thus far, thank God Old Glory has
waved over a land of absolute relig-
ious liberty, and long and proudly
may she wave.
Thirdly, these bills seem to have
been prepared on the basis that there
were no existing laws relating to the
publication of defamatory or libelous
utterances, although it is a we'll
known fact that under the statutes
governing these matters any person
has redress in the courts against any
publication which may have DETAINED
or libeled him. These laws have been
found sufficient to meet all reason
able demands, and as a result there
is no occasion for this proposed legis-
lation.
Therefore should not every earn
est, liberty-loving citizen write to
their favorite representative a strong
protest, petitioning the honorable
body of the sixty-third congress not
to pass bill H. R. 2O644, entitled "a
bill to amend the postal laws" and
also bill H. R. 207SO, with the same
title, or any other like measure, and
do it today, so it will have its weight
in congress?
ELDER B. c. TABOR.