The Co-operative news. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1917-1918, 1917-11-22
THE HIGH-HANDED
SUPPRESSION OF NEWS
PAPERS BY y. o. CAR
(By Gibson Gardner)

ticular and to radicals generally. For
to the latter the question is equiva-
lent to: how about free speech?
SO far there has been no action
taken either by the postoffice de
partment or by courts under what
is known as the "new censorship
law" This claw consists of a
clause contained in the recently
passed trading-w h-the-enemy act
making il illegal not only to mail,
but otherwise to publish or circu-
late, matter declared by postoffce
occicials "unmailable' under the old
law-that is, the espionage act,
enacted shortly after our entry into
the war.
A number of papers denied the
privilege of the mails under this
old law have still circulated locally
by carrier or on the newstands, or
by freight or express.
Secrecy surrounds the administra-
ton of the postoffice censorship to
such an extent that not even list
of the papers summoned will be made
public. All hearings are behind
closed doors and the records are Civ
en- to the parties interested "only
in confidence" There is no docket,
no notice, no open trial, nor any
certainty as to when an order will
be issued in any case.
SO Papers Blacklisted
Up to date about 60 papers have
been put on the blacklist" accord
ing to Solicitor Lamar, for the post
office department, who, with Third
Assistant Postmaster Dockery, con-
stitutes the court Of inquisition in
the censorship cases.
About 80 of these publications
have been summoned to show why
they should not be deprived of the
second-class mailing privilege and
number estimated at dozen or
10 have been completely suppressed.
The blacklist, includes everything
from small, sporadic monthlies or
weeklies to daily papers having half
million circulation. 1t includes
English-speaking as well as foreign
papers, and the scope of the depart
ments actiyieies ranges from Texas
to Massachusetts
Many Suppressed
Among the papers permanently
cut off from the use of the second
class mailing privileges are: The
Bull, New York City; the jefferson
ian, Thomson, Ga. Zone of Tom Wat
sons Magazines); Watson's Maya
zine, Atlanta, Ga; Wacher Und
Anzeiger, Cleveland, Ohio; the Lead
er. Milwaukee, Wis; the American
Socialist, Chicago; the Rebel, Texas;
the Masses, New York City.
Among the papers summoned to
show why they should not be de-
prived of the mailing privilege are:
The Jewish Daily Forward, New
York City; the Call. New York City;
the Charleston American, Charles
ton, S. C.
In addition, there are probably
a dozen other publications, sum-
moned or suppressed, whose names
are unkonwn.
Pacifists Put Down
The list of the summoned and
suppressed papers include practically
all Socialist publications. What ap-
pears to be the ordinary formula of
Socialism is regarded by the depart
ment as Objectionable in many in
stances under the second paragraph
of the espionage act, invoked by
Postmaster General Burleson as a
"rule to the postoffice department
to determine what publications are
admissible to the mails.
1t is not only the Socialist press,
however, that is regarded by the
postoffice censoring bureau as Of
fensive The Charleston American
has not the remotest affiliaton with
Socialism. It's editor was great
admirer of President Wilson at one
time, but he has failed to follow him
in the war.
The Jewish Daily Forward, is the
principal organ of the Jewish popu-
lation in New York It's offending
was likewise not due to its voicing
of Socialism, but in utterances on
the lines of pacifism
Watson Fought Draft
Tom Watson's publications in
Georgia were much more militantly
opposed to the war, and were ag-
gressively against the CONSUMPTION
law, which Watson contended was I'M
constitutional.
The Masses in New York City has
been the voice of small group of
intellectuals who disagree with al
most any conventionalities and have
felt themselves free to climb the
Olympus of intellect and survey crit