Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09

NO PRESS GAG LAW
FORTUNATELY for the liberties of
1 the country-for they are abso-
lutely bound up in the freedom of the
Press which our Fathers made part of
the Great Charter-the press gag law
which Mr.. Wilson has been seeking to
drive thru Congress just as he did the
Panama Canal toll repeal, has been de-
feated.
No president ever asked such unlim-
ited, arbitrary powers as Mr.. Wilson
has demanded, and with the use of every
atom of his executive influence and
power persistently sought to exact.
Neither Washington in the far greater
crisis of the Revolution, nor Lincoln in
the most trying hours of the Civil War,
when it was a question whether or not
the Republic would survive, ever
sought, or even dreamed of, such auto
cratic powers. Not even Andrew jack
son, who more than any president till
now, stretched almost to breaking his
proper functions as the Chief Executive
of the Nation, ever attempted to get or
use such arbitrary powers.
That minority of fearless Democrats
in both branches of Congress, whose
resolute opposition to Mr.. Wilson's un-
reasonable demand made its defeat pos
sible by the votes of the Republicans,
deserve the thanks of every citizen.
They very honorably showed themselves
patriots first rather than partisans.
The hateful autocrary of deposed
Russian Car will never find new
home in free America Never The
barbaric relic which even ignorant
Russia has spurned shall never become
a priced jewel in our intelligent land.
Nor was the purpose of its enactment
any real need or peril of the hour. The
Administration practically admitted that
when complimenting the press of the
country upon keeping utter silence
about the return of General Joffre to
France, which fact, tho known to the
papers generally, was so profoundly
suppressed that no one knew Of his
leaving until they read of his safe ar
rival. So, again, the country generally
knew nothing of the departure of the
Russian Mission, Mr.. Elihu Root and
the rest, until it read of their safely
reaching Russia. The same IS true OF
the despatching of General Pershing
and his troop to the French lines in Eu.
rope. So, too, the first news the coun'
try had of our destroyers intending to
90 on German submarine hunt, was
when these ungagged newspapers let
that fact be known after the boats had
reached the scene of action!
The real reason for Mr.. Wilson's press
gag is to hide from the people the end
less blunders of the administration.
That absurdly incompetent country
editor, Mr.. Josephus Daniels, as
Secretary of the Navy, has done little
; else than blunder ever since he took his
portfolio, and it would be fine thing
to hush up his costly mistakes, his pig
headed disregard Of the warnings OF
old naval officers, etc., which have
caused death and disaster, like the tragic
F. No. a submarine drownings at Homo
lulu, the dangerous epidemic Of menin-
gifts in the hospital at Norfolk due to
scandalous incompetency and misman-
agement and in short, the woful ness in
to which this ignorant civilian, too con-
ceited to be taught by old naval ex-
perts, has brought the whole service
to keep blunders like these from the
public-this is the real reason for wish
ing to muzzle the press.
But 1t is wholly un-American, opposed
both to the genius of our free system
and to all the precedents furnished by
our ablest presidents since the days of
the modest and venerated Washington.
NEW BEAUTIES OF "KULTUR"