The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-26
TO GET
new sEDITI0N LAW
SOON after RECESS

WASHINGTON. Dec. 36.-Anti-sedi-
ton legfalation will be brought before
Congress - soon al the holiday recess
IL ended.
y Il promises to provoke sharp con-
test on the question Of how far the
government should 30 toward reviving
wartime censorship Of speech and the
press.
Senator Thomas Sterling Of South
Dakota. author Of bill which now Is
on the Senate calendar. announced to-
day that Immediately upon the recon
vening Of congress he would make an
effort to gain consideration for his
measure.
s Senator William e. Borah. Of Idaho.
stated that he intended to offer amend
sments to the measure with a view to
making 1t less drastic.
provision in the bill which clothes the
sPostmaster-General with wide discre-
Rtionary powers in the matter Of regu.
Slating the press
( Gays sili Goes To Far.
Z In this respect the senator says that
: 1.-THE bill goes too far and would give
TO the Postmaster-General powers
equal to those he exercised only dur
ing the war" Y.
The Sterling bill makes It unlawful
flor any person to advocate or advise
sthe overthrow, or to write or knowing
sly to print, publish. utter, sell or
distribute any document, book, circu-
liar. paper. journal or other written or
printed communication in which or by
which there is advised the overthrow,
by force or violence or by physical in
!. Jury to persons or property, Of the
) Government Of the United States, or
to advise or advocate a change in the
form of Government or the copstitu-
stion Of the United States, or resist
cor violence or by physical injury to
person or property, or by force or
violence to prevent, hinder or delay
the execution Of any law Of the United
States"
Senator Sterling holds that this
reaches only to the person who resorts
Ito force or violence in doing any OF
the things mentioned in the BILL.
Divergent Views Noted.
Other senators have construed the
language Of the bill more broadly,
however, and contend that 1t might
apply to any person who advocated
the turning out of one political admin
istration in national affairs and the
substitution of rival political or
ganization.
] They also have expressed doubts as
to how far the provision against advo-
eating a change in the constitution OF
the United States might be held to ap-
ply.
Senator Borah's objections are d.
rected principally to Section 3 OF the
bill. which provides: THAT every doc
ument, book. circular. paper. journal
or other written or printed communi-
cation in or by which there is advo-
Gated or advised the overthrow OF the
Government Of the United States here
by is declared to be nonmailable and
the same shall not be conveyed in the
mails or delivered from any postoffice
or by any letter carrier. provided that
nothing in this act shalt be construed
as to authorize any person other than
an employee Of the dead letter once
duly authorized thereto or other per
son upon a search warrant, authorized
by law. to open any letter not ad-
dressed to himself"
Senator Borah believes this section
places too much power in the hands Of
the Postmaster.General. He declared
today that it exceeded the authority
(which was given to the Postmaster
General in time Of war, and that there
are not sufficient guarantees in the
bill that the powers will not be exer-
cised un1ustly.