The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-04-30
Postma sters Are Given the Oppor-
tunlty to Help Uncle Sam
and Other Loyal
Folks.
FERRET OUT THE PROS
Those Who Talk and Those Who Are
Detected In Disloyal Acts
viii be Taken
Up.

thrown upon postmasters since our
country got into the great wa is
that of preliminary investigation of
all cases of alleged treason, dis
loyalty. pro-Germanism, etc, that
may be reported to him. Cases as
certained by postmasters TO have
sufficient foundation for reporting
to the proper authorities are so re
ported. There are so many reports
made to poj.:nasters OF cases thai are
trivial and unpunishable If substan-
tiated that il all were reported to
the investigating authorities the
chiefs and their assistants and oper-
ators woul he unable to handle the
great mass. As j, is, they are months
behind in investigating cases of fair
moment: the important cases are
taking W all their time in and out of
court. The best that can be done by
postmasters is to keep lists of those
against whom charges are preferred.
with record of same, then look up the
cases and sift out those which seem
susceptible of proof in court, which
are few. Besides reporting such
cases, reports are also made OF cases
which demand attention at the hands
| of the department of justice in the
way of a visit of warning or letter
| of warning to those at fault.
| Regarding cases of seditious utter
ances. etc, it Is not enough in a
court of law that one person testify
| to the guilt of the accused, if the lat
/ ter pleads not guilty. as it is then
ione's word against another's; there
must be a preponderance OF evidence,
| two witnesses or more, to convict,
and the exact words constituting the
offense must be set forth and proven.
Cases of seditious utterances where
there is practically no doubt of the
guilt, but when guilt can not be prov
Ell. as it appears to the investigators.
are the ones that are punished
usually by letters or visits Of warn
ling from agents of the department OF
Justice.
Here in Keokuk quite a large
number of cases have been reported
to the postmaster. most of them not
susceptible of proof, according to
legal procedure, some of them how
ever, of such gravity that they have
lbeen and are being investigated by
those to whom that duty is delegated
by the federal government They
will doubtless become public as they
are reached. if found of such nature
that prosecution follows. 1t is the
duty of the postmasters to keep such
things absolutely to themselves-not
Ito divulge the name of an accused
person or that of the accuser. Where
fore. anyone having any complaint 10
lodge may make it with the knowl
edge that he or she will not ne KNOWN
in the matter unless trial shoule
result with the complainant necessar!
as one of the witnesses.
rumor going about that some
one has been guilty OF ofense does
not necessarily mean that that some
one is guilty. Only within the pas
couple of weeks rumor in this city
has been very free regarding an al
LEGGED offense which, when the matter
was investigated, was ascertalned te
he without foundation in fact, the one
accused by rumor of having uttered
disloyal remarks in conversation
with another having been found MOI
70 have made them he disclaimins
such statements and the one to whom
he was talking having substantlatet
his denial Of so doing. And there have
been other cases of a similar nature
to the Injustice of those wrongful!
accused.
These are serious times, ant
charges of treason, sedition and pro
Cermanism are serious things ant
should be so treated Remember, ru
NOR is not proof, but if you have
case that seems to have Foundation
report it to the postmaster. Don't tar
If around and have it garbled ane
distorted Take it to the postmaster
who will have it investigated.