El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-05-08
WTA@somis mn
BIGGEST ARGUMENT AGAINST
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
{ RhIladelphIa PubIic Ledeer.

Burleaonism Ia not only the great.
est single handicap tho Wilson admin
istration has had TO carry, but 1t Is IN
addition the most convincing demon
stration that could be devised against
government ownership or the rail-
roads and tho wire communications
Of the country.
kurlesonism Is not a new phenD-
menon BY n means. II has charac.
tefized many previous admnistre,
tons Of the post Office department,
hnt never until the Texas congress-
man was put In charge was it carried
10 its present extreme Of arrogant and
self-assertive incompetence and in
efficiency; never before was 1t given
0pportunity to extend It's baleful in
fluence SO widely and so absolutely
lover the nations venue Of cDnlmu-
nication and publicity,
Bufiesonism is the spOils system
lcarfIed TO the nth degree, partisanship
without conscience and ruthless au.
tocracy imported into the structure
lof a democratic government. II is
fatal to economy in management, to
efficiency in the execution OF business
methods and to -disinterested loyalty
and unity on the part OF the personnel
of the public service. Terrorism and
espionage from a boye have stifled
initiative in. individual officials, bred
a spirit of autocratic interference with
liberty of speech within the depart
nlents under the control OF Burleson-
ism and an equally autocratic med
Cling with the rights of the people to-
en- impartial and competent operation
Of vitality necessary public utilities.
The postmaster generals attempt
to fasten upon the American public
the. tyranny Of a censorship OF the
mails and telegraph, under a pretend,
ed exercise OF war powers for which
the need no longer exists, is not the
least mischieyous and i~ndefensible
manifestation of Bu~rIesonism. His
latest act Of con~descension, in order
ing telegraph officials to- permit" the
transmission Of messages referring to
h%ilnself, even though they may con
tain .libelous MATTER came too late
to wipe out the sinister effect of the
recent attempted hold-up of criticism
Of his conduct in office, because the
very refnsal-by a subordinate Off
eial Ia New York City-to accept for
a message containing an
exposure OF ~Burlesonism was direct
reflection of the condition Of mind to
which the telegraph staff has been
reduced under the Burleson regime.
It is surely, significant that a rule
.7stensibly directed against the accept
OF messages containing pro
zane, obscene or libelous language
have lain innocuous for years
and then resurrected and applied for
he first and only time to a news dis.
rejecting on Burleson himself
The postmaster general can not evade
responsibility for what even he now
'ecogndzes to have been not only a
blunder. but what is even more
an attempted fragrant viola
ion of the liberty Of speech and Of
he press.
The postmaster general, in seeking
q divert public attention from the
Universal condemnation Of his man
cement Of the postal, telegraph and
telephone communication 70 the news
spers Of the country, which are the
for the publication Of these
omplaints. grossly underestimate
intelligence and understanding OF
ne American people. The newspapers
nd periodical publishers OF the Unit
d States are only one group out Oh
lany representing American business
Inch has suffered from the mis-.
lieyons and oppressive policies OF
le postmaster general. They are de-
to a very large extent upon
le regularity and reliability of the
tblic utilities which are under the
nmediate control Of the post office
Id the wire administrations. and
ley have suffered from the notorious
and ineffciency OF the service
'ndered them by those utilities,
hen Mr.. Burleson closes his ears 10
q universal protests voiced by the
hole business world against his mis-
anagement of these utilities and
ben he ignores the swelling chorus
an indignant Reputation by his
IN political party against a policy
hich has reduced the Spostal and
ire services to propaganda for gov
nment ownership and to a machine
r partisan purposes. he c~onfesses
s own unfitness for the grave re-
lonsibilities which have been thrust
ION him. The question Of postal
ties for second class mail piatter
axis into insignificance before tho
ItionWide indictment which Mr.. Bur
son thus tries to eYade facing.