Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-09-20

pOlitan. 1t was precisely the kind OF
action which, as | know by having been
so assured again and again by various
editors, was the reason why these edi-
tors have been afraid to tell the truth
or even a small part of the truth about
our governmental inefliciency or mis-
deeds. The article on which the action
was nominally based was by a man who
had written articles of exactly the
public, which, however, is a political
supporter of Mr.. Wilson, and has not
3cen interfered with. The Metropoli-
an is not political supporter of Mr..
,ilson and was interfered with yet
he Metropolitan has upheld the war
az more zealously than the New Re-
,w;I:c The Metropolitan Immediate
asked the postmaster OF New York
or the grounds of his action. but got
10 answer On March 8 it telegraphed
lie Postmaster General, asking wheth-
II the action was taken by the order of
he Postmaster General and, if not,
what steps the Postmaster General
would take to repair the damage done
to the Metropolitan Magazine. On
March II, the Postmaster General, re-
piled to the Metropolitan, stating that
accusations had been made that an az
ticle in the Metropolitan was a traitor
Gus effusion, but that he did not know
whether the complaints were justified,
II, II oh ~ If
it by the department. He did not an
swer the Metropolitan question as to
what steps would be takento repair the
damage done it by the conduct Of the
New York postmaster. On the same
day the New York postmaster wrote the
Metropolitan reversing his action OF
March 2, but making no apology and
making no excuse. On March l. the
editor Of the Metropolitan wrote to Mr.
Brrleson saying among other things,
You must remember that there are a
great number of pacifists and pro-Ger-
mans in this country who would will
ingly put the Metropolitan Magazine
out of business because it is the most
strongly pro-ally and anti-German pub
LEGATION in the country
THE prime example of failure by the
administration to proceed against
newspapers which oppose the war OF
attack our allies and therefore directly
or indirectly aid Germany is afforded
by the failure of the administration to
deal with Mr.. Hearst's papers as it has
dealt with certain other papers. Mr.
Hearst is very wealthy man, reputed
to be much more than millionaire
owning dozen newspapers, more OF
less, and a half dozen magazines, in diff
ferent parts of the country. At the
very beginning Of the war the Govern
ment proceeded successfully against
Tom Watson's publication in Georgia
| entirely disagree with Tom Watson's
general political philosophy; was
utterly opposed to his contention that
drafted men should not be sent over.
seas to fight Z regarded him as mar
row, although an upright and sincere
man But he had done nothing that
was anything like as dangerous to this
country and our allies and as helpful
to Germany as Mr.. Hearst was at that
very time doing. The circulation OF
Mr. Wats0n's paper was very small
compared to Mr.. Hearsts papers, his
wealth and influence, were insignificant
compared to Mr.. Hearst's wealth and
influence, and he had denounced Ger
many and even advocated war against
Germany, whereas Mr.. Hearst had III
numerous editorials opposed our going
to war, attacked Germany's foes, and
defended Germany. Yet the admins
tration crushed Tom Watson, a poor
man, while it first tolerated and then
encouraged wealthy, powerful, Mr.
Hearst. Tom Watson's paper was not
the. only small paper the Postmaster
General attacked and hampered for do
ing far less than Mr.. Hearst's papers
had done. The New York News is
edited by George w Harris, a colored
man. for the colored race. Under date
of May 2, last, Mr.. Harris, the editor
received a notice from the postmaster
of New York that the issue of that
date had been withheld from dispatch
through the mails, pending advice from
the Solicitor for the Postoffice Depart
ment as to whether this issue is mail
able" One of the editors of the paper
informs me that Mr. Harris called at
the pOstoffice in New York to ascertain
the reason of this order, but was not
given any reason. The only eXplana-
ton the editors could think of was that
the paper had contained protest
against an alleged order of colonel in
the Army directing colored officers
not to enforce upon white interiors a
military salute" Certainly nothing in
this humble paper warranted the adj
ministration, through the Postoffice
Department, in attacking it, while at
the same time not venturing to inter
fere with the wealthy Hearst papers.
There could be no more striking ex-
ample of discrimination than that fur
nished by the contrast between the
treatment of paper like Mr.. Watson S
and papers like those of Mr.. Hearst ;
there was severity of treatment for the
helpless while the strong were given
complete immunity
There is no need 70 rely 11non nv