The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-04-28


citizens should be informed concern,
ing dangerous bills that are brought
before the national congress. Since
the opening of the siXty-fourth con
gress, two bills have been introduced
in the house of representatives that
vitality affect the freedom of the
press in which all Americans glory.
One of these bills, known as II
II. 491, was introduced by Hon.
Isaac Siegel. of New York, and is
one Of the most revolutionary mea-
sures that we have evev seen. In
fact, is is so revolutionary and dras-
tic that even it's friends see little
prospect of its being enacted into
law. This fact, however, should not
prevent christian citizens from pro-
testing against its enactment. This
bill has the following provision:
Whenever complaint in writing
shall be filed with the Postmaster
General that any publication making
use of or being sent through the
mail, contains any article therein
or religion to either hatred, con-
tempt, ridicule or obloQuy, he shall
forthwith cause an investigation to
be made under his direction, and
shall within twenty days after re-
ceipt of such complaint, if the facts
contained thereinn are true, make
an order forbidding the further use
of the mails to any such publication:
but nothing herein contained shall
be deemed to prevent the Postmas-
ter-General from restoring such use
Of the mails to any such publication
whenever it shall be established to
his satisfaction that the publication
has ceased to print or publish such
prohibited matter, and given him
satisfactory assurances in writing
that there will be no further repeti-
tion of the same"
The other dangerous measure
known as H. r. 6,46S, was proposed
by Hon. John ]. Fitzgerald, of New
York. and while moderate in tone,
contains serious menace to the free
press Of America. It also empowers
the Postmaster-Gene to exclude
certain matter from the mails. II
has the following provisions:
Whenever it shall be established
to the satisfaction of the Postmas-
ter-General that any person is en-
gagged or represents himself as en-
gagged, in the business of publishing
any obscene or immoral books, pam
phlets, pictures, prints. engravings,
autographs, photographs. or other
publications., matter, or thing of an
IN
cter, and If such person shall in the
opinion OF the Postmaster-G General,
endeavor to use the postoffice for the
promotion Of such business. il is
hereby declared that no letter. pac-
ket, parcel, newspaper, book. or other
thing sent or sought to be sent
through the postottice by or on be
half Of or to or on behalf of such
person shall be deemed malta Bile
matter, and the General
shall make the necessary rules and
regulations TO exclude such non
mailable matter from the mails"
Both those bills would place an
unwarranted power in the hands OF
one official who is appointed and not
elected. 1t virtually would make the
stmaster-General a censor" Of re
lisious utterance." and would be an
unwarranted interference on the
part Of the government with state
ments of religious belief and the
freedom Of the press. The imprOpri-
ETY. OF permitting the postofiice de-
partment to assume a censorship over
the press was pointed out in 1885 by
the Postmaster-Genera who was
inportuned to bar certain papers
from the mails. His words were
published in the New Yory "Evenig
Post" August 1S, 1885, as follows:
Upon careful exarination of the
law, l am satisfied that the POstmas-
ter-General has no legal authority to
exclude newspapers from the mails
nor prohibit their carriage or de-
livery on account OF their character
or tendency, real or supposed. Prob
ably it was not thought safe to confer
on the head of an executive depart
ment a power over the press which
might be perverted and abused"
federal statute already exists
that denies the privilege of the mails
to obscene, lewd, filthy and immoral
literature, pictures. etc. These terms
have been defined by the Supreme
court and their meaning is definitely