The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-02-19
THE NEW CENSORSHIP.

tutional liberties of the people. Con- gress is not empowered to make laws which will abridge that freedom in any way. Congress does it by giv- ing the Postal department summary Jurisdiction over that which may pass through the mails and by little legal casuistry, easy enough in case of necessity, the constitu- tional right is overcome.
 Still when all is said and done, that is done by the peoples Govern ment. Directly or indirectly if the people stand for it, the people are to blame.
 But there is another Kind of cen- sorship which is just now coming to light and over which the dear people have no control, good, bad or indifferent.
 Sometimes last year, The Masses. quite a radical publication with an inclination to highbrowdom and h. tellectuality and Art published some thing that caused it to run foul Of the powers that be; it publishes so many things antagonistic to privi- lege that it is really hard to say what particularly it was, and the New York Subway news stands were ordered not to sell it. The paper was removed and very large part of it's circulation was de- stroyed.
 When the strike against Standard Oil was on in Bayonne, the New York Call. which gave the side of the strikers story with pre-eminent fairness, was suppressed in the Standard Oil Bailiwick.
 Pearson's Magazine in it's De- ticle by George Greet on Depart ment Stores which exposes the me- thods of some very well known phil anthropists. George is some muck raker and he stirs up quite stink by the facts which he makes public. But because he did, the magazine which published his article is barred from the New York subway stands.
 It is all right of course. The sub- way stands are concessions from powerful traction magnates who have high and puissant privileges from the People of the State of New York, and among other high and puissant privileges which the People have so generously given. is the right to suppress upon their terms ot enfranchisement the papers that are objectionable to the privileged par ties holding it.
 To them the freedom of the press is a negligible quantity.
 France is country at war. For the strict censorship which prevails in France or in other belligerent nations there is good deal of very plausible excuse. At least during belligerency, the nations have usually scrapped whatsoever rights the people have had and governed by an emergency method which justified almost anything.
 Now identical action to that taken by the New York subway was taken by the Metropolitan railways of Paris the subway system of that festive burg.
 But they didn't get away with it. On the contrary they were ordered by the Mayor through the Prefect of Police that they could exercise no such power as can be seen from the following communication, pup lished by the The Masses with a chuckle, and taken from a French paper dated October 14.
 M. le Prefect
 I am informed by the newspapers of an incredible measure taken at the direction of the Metropolitan (Sub-Way Company, in regard to the newspaper. L'Evenement, the sale of which has been forbidden on all the newstands at it's stations.
 Such an arbitary act is scandal. and I do not doubt that If it has been brought to your attention, you would already have given orders u have it stopped. At least l assum" that no sanction was given to sucf an act of prohibition against no mat. ter what lawful publication.
 have then the honor to inform