The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1917-08-30
BURLESON SCORES THOS. E.
WATSON
Postmaster General Tells why
The JefferSOnian Has Been
Barred From Mails
Asserts Watson is Trying TO
Discredit Government

Washington, August 22-The Jeffersonian,
Thomson Ca, weekly paper, of which Thomas
e. Watson is editor, and The Masses, socialist
magazine, published in New York, were de-
nounced by Postmaster-General Burleson in a
communication to the Senate today, as leaders
in organized propaganda to discourage enlist
nents prevent subscriptions to the Liberty Loan
and obstruct the draft act
Mr. Burleson declined to give specific
reasons for barring The Masses from the mails,
saying such information was incompatible with
the public interest.
In response to the Senate's resolution of in
quiry, presented by Senator Hardwick, the post
master general wrote to Chairman Bankhead, OF
the postoffce committee saying:
'From matter received by this department
from various sections of the country l find that
there is organized propaganda to discredit
and handicap in every way the government in
the prosecution of this war, with the clear and
unmistakable purpose of defeating the objects
for which the government is spending millions
of dollars, and will probably be called upon to
sacrifice thousands of lives. The publications
forming part of this propaganda in many cases
guard their utterances as the editors think
will keep them out of prison. They nveerthe-
less united in publishing the same class of mat
ter, whether it be true or half true or wholly
false, and daily accomplishing results clearly
in violation of the espionage law. Common
among these publications stand The, Masses and
The Jeffersonian Their respective editors
leaders in the movement. Their writings and
speeches quoted with approval by the press
of this character throughout the country, as we'll
as in circular matter emanating from the same
t..->~x.
Implications of this class have from week
to week commended that the so-called draft act
recently passed by Congress is unconstitutional,
and under the pretense of legitimate argument
have actually discouraged enlistments Constructed
the execution of the draft act and prevented sub
scriptions to the bonds issued to raise money
to carry on the war;.
s.H
THE above is taken from the Atlanta Con-
: stitUti0qa of Thursday last.
If the position taken by Mr.. Burleson is up
held, it logically follows that declaration Of
war suspends the Constitution, and estab-
fishes an absolute authority in the P. O. De-
partment to suppress publications which are
not in harmony with the Acts of rubber
stamp Congress, weather-vane president,
and Dollar crazed host of r-profteers.
Parliamentary government presupposes
differences of opinion, just as religious liberty
does: and when we speak of civil and re-
ligious liberty, we have in mind those honest
disagreements which have always existed
where people were free to read, to think, and
to express themselves.
At d time wheasit was universally believed
that the infamous press-gag clauses of the
Espionage Law had been defeated, and when
the daily papers were announcing the sup
posed fact, The Jefers071iG1o outlined it's plan
Of opposition to the Conscript Act, and stated
that peaceable assemblages, petitions to the
Government, and a legal test in the United
States Courts, were the only remedies which
could be considered.
Inasmuch as the Constitution itself pre-
serves these remedies, it cannot be held that
an editor violates the law for advocating
them, unless it is also held that declaration
of war suspends the Constitution.
But every lawyer knows that a state of war