The sun., 1919-04-24
Messages Which the "wor,d" Might
Send In an Emergency.

Messages which the "wor,d" Might
Send In an Emergency.
Our neighbor the World announces
that the telegraph companies, which
are at present under control of Post
master General BURLEsoN, refused to
send out on their wires to various
American newspapers the following
summary of news article which the
World, through it's news bureau. or
fered for sale:
shington - Seibold - BUR-
Lesson pictured as snoop. trouble
maker. disorganizer, autocrat and
arch politican-Post Ohfce employ
ees call their chief slave driver, con.
vict laborers having been whipped
on his acknowledgements Of mail
system alleged-He is credited with
having put National Prohibition :
throush-5,oO0 (words)."
On the heels of the Worlds an.
nouncement Of this censorship came
Mr.. BURLEsoN's order to the tele-
graph companies to pass all matter
relative to him-an action which may
be construed as reputation of the
acts of his subordinates in the tele-
graph companies. In the unhappy
event Of the World encountering
similar censorship in the future we
suggest that that newspaper try the
experiment Of offering to the wires
some items which are older than, vet
quite as true as, its charges against
Mr.. BuRIEsoS-for INSTANCE:
Congress shall make no law
Abridging the freedom OF the
press"-Constitution OF the United
States.
Or this extract from STORY on the
Constitution:
40 subject the press to the re-
strictive power of a llcenser, as was
formerly done. before and since the
revolution tof 1881. is to subject all
freedom OF sentiment TO the preju-s
dices OF one man, and make him the
arbitrary and infallible Judge Of all
controverted points in learning, relig-
ion and government
Or this, again from the Federal
Constitution:
The President, Vice-President
and all civil officers OF the United
States shall be removed from Office
on impeachment for, and conviction
Of. treason. bribery. or other high
crimes and misdemeanors"
And this from BLACKSTONE, defining
high misdemeanors, of which a civil
officer Ga Cabinet member is one)
might be guilty:
"SIisprisions which are merely pos
tive are generally denominated con-
tempts or high misdemeanors, of
which the first and principal is NAL
administration OF such high Offices as
are in public trust and employment.
IIL4S is usually ny IIle
cd of parliamentary impes chment."
Or this. taken from Story on the
Constitution:
Congress have unhesitatingly
adopted the conclusion that no pre-
vious statute Is necessary to author
ize an impeachment for any official
misconduct. In examining the
parliamentary history OF impeach-
ments II will be found that many Of
fences not easily definable by law,
and many OF a purely political char -
acter, have been deemed high crimes
and misdemeanors worthy of this
extraordinary remedy"
Or this. from the address Of b.
cHANAN in the Impeachment trial Of
Judge PECK:
The abuse OF a power which has
been given may be as criminal as
the usurpation OF power which has
not been granted =
Or this, from GEORGE TICKNoR CUR
rrss History of the Constitution of
the United States:
"A cause for removal from once
may exist when no offence against
positive law has been committed, as
when the individual has from inn
morality or imbecility or maladmin-
istration become UNIT to exercise the
office"
All these items are perfectly proper
for a telegraph operator TO read and
send. Nor can it be objected that
they are not news. Surely they would
be news to ALBERT SIDNEY BuRLEsoN,
the appointee Of the Worlds idol, Mr..
WILSON.