Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-25
AS TO BURLESON

AS TO BURLESON
Postmaster General Burleson maintains that there
8 being made an organized effort to discredit him be-
cause Of his advocacy Of the retention in the law Of the
provision imposing additional and unreasonable burdens
on second class mail.
Whatever Of organization there may be in the effort
to discredit Mr.. Burleson we do not know. Certain 1t
is that Mr.. Burleson should be discredited, not alone on
account Of his attitude with reference to second class
mail, but because Of his general attitude as a public
servant.
The attitude of the postonace department in insisting
on the creation of the zone system for the handling of
certain classes of mail is a reversal of policy which has
almost universally been regarded as sound, that the
Transmission of intelligence. in whatever form, is to be
encouraged by the government in every possible way.
Mr.. Burleson maintains that intelligence in certain
printed forms is to be treated like hay. and that condi-
tons should be fixed which will permit its circulation
only within a certain prescribed territory.
That position is utterly unsound from the standpoint
Of public interest. It has been pretty conclusively es.
tablished that it is also unsound from the standpoint OF
postohace receipts But. il the postmaster general, hon
estsy entertaining these uns and opinions. had placed
them frankly before congress. to stand or fall >on their
own merits, he could command the respect of the coun-
try for his honesty. If not for his wisdom. But this was
not the Burleson way. The proposal for the zone sys-
TEN was turned down by congress. but Mr.. Burleson,
aided and abetted by Kitchin, caused it to be tackled on
as a rider to an emergency war bill. and in order to save
the mail bill and provide for the war needs Of the gov
eminent this provision, which never had any relation
to war needs, was accepted, and the postmaster general
proposes to keep it as a part Of the regular government
policy.
Mr.. Burleson's combination Of cunning and stub
bornness is illustrated, too. in his handling of the tele-
graph, telephone and cable matter. Whether or not
these great utilities should be owned and operated by
the government is an important question Of political
principle and economic policy. Strictly az a war measure
the government was authorized to take over and operate
these utilities if necessary. Under authority Of this law,
enacted solely to meet a war emergency, the government
has taken the most important of its steps in this great
plan Of public ownership since the signing Of the armi-
stice when the pressure of. war needs could not be al
legged even as an excuse. The indisputable fact that the
work has been badly handled by the government is a
detail. The really important fact is that bad faith was
shown in the manner in which the property was
acquired. and without question the steps were taken on
the advice Of Mr.. Burleson.
The statement is made that important dispatches
belonging to a New York paper were refused transmits
sion over the wires, presumably because the subject mat
ter was displeasing to the postmaster general. If this is
true this public ohcial is assuming authority which the
American people have never conceded and will never
concede to any man.
Mr.. Burleson is a small politician. He is credited
with having more influence with the president than any
other man in the cabinet. Rightly or wrongly, most OF
the blunders which the president seems fated to commit
when he touches on matters Of party politics, are charged
TO Mr.. Burleson. Be that as it may this Official has long
since demonstrated his official uselessness.