The Washington times., 1921-01-29

hevs that the GuNernment Al menaood
Il strikes are 10 be permitted against
the Government That seems 10 be
sound principle. recommended
against having the Postal Union slH
itself with the Federation or Labor
The Federation OF Labor met and de-
nounced me. II has denounced me py
resolution three times and l nave
made the recommendation Iour
times"
TAKES ~ CALL CASE.
MI. Burlss0n. what about the
charge that you brutally and unneees-
sarily barred from the mails various
publications during the war inelud-
ing the New York can and the Ma
ton
Il am glad YOU asked that he
said The facts are that under inc
espionage act the Postmaster General
IL directe ed to bar from the mails dur
Ing the war publications that opposed
or discouraged recruiting or enlist
-nent Under this act this depart
ment did exclude scores or publica-
tions. some exceedingly small and
some or more Importance, like the
Call We simply made a rule anu
applied the law. In every case where
we acted we invited the publication
TO take the matter to court. In every
case where this was done the courts
sustained the department
THE single exception was the New
York Call case. where the lower court
decided against us. This case has
been appealed and I have but slight
doubt that the Supreme Court VIII
sustain us.
''Now, as to the Nation. did not
bar the Nation, One edition OF ths
Nation was held up by the postmaster
at New York. without instructions
from me and without my knowledge.
When word reached ne here We al
once examined the matter and or
dered the edition admitted To the
mails. Yet, l was damned time and
again In the press for excluding the
Nation from the mails
What about the charge made by
the New York World that when the
wire services were under your con-
troll you refused o permit the Postal
Telegraph Company to sent out over
the wires an attack upon you printed
in the World?" .....
THE answer to that" said Mr.. Bur-
leson, sis that IL is not true. l did not
know that the wire company had re-
fused to transmit the attack until |
read IL in the World. What happened
was this: The telegraph company
has certain rules about the carrying
over it's wires of slanderous and IL
bclous matter, desiring, ! suppose, TO
protect itself from suits. When this
attack on me was Offered, the agent
in charge, regarded it as violating
that rule and refused to accept it,
He did this without my knowledge,
without the knowledge of any one
a.. ,.. "A
without suggestion of any kind. As
soon as ! read what has been done |
at once ordered the company to ac-
cept and transmit the attack. Those
are the facts"
I'm the light OF your experience of
the past eight years. when you con-
slider the enemies you have made and
the abuse that has come to you. do you
still consider public office worth
while?"
PUBLIC OFFICE WORTH WHILE
The Postmaster-General sat up
straight and spoke vigorously:
You bet do. or course. it's worth
while if you try to do the right thing
You may be misunderstood and mis-
represented, but If you have done
had no sinister or selfish purpose you
need not mind that. You can stand
the abuse OF the uninformed and the
prejudiced, because the truth will be
known by the men who know the
facts and, in the long end, things will
balance and come right oh, yes. it's
worth while. would not have missed
the last eight years and the chance
l had for anything / can think of.
But, / want to say one thing-and
ii Is this: II our Government does not
get back to simple principles. leav-
ing to the States, the counties and
the municipalities their proper gov
ernmental functions unimpaired and
intact, and IL il does not turn quick
ly to a rigid economy of the public's
money. our Government will be upon
the rocks and wreck. | don't believe
IT will be wrecked. because l am con-
vinced that a leader will arise from
the people who will restore us to a
sound basis-another Thomas Jeffer-
son or another Woodrow Wilson will
make his appearance aNd turn us
back to sanity.
"And one more thing / want to say
in conclusion. 1t was Thomas JEFF
ferson. / believe. who said: NO honest
public official need fear a hostile