Evening star., 1921-06-06
Editorial Digest
Freedom for the Press.

CI00QVm 101 the xfeS4.
When Postmaster General Hays re-
moved the restrictions excluding the
LAberator. the Milwaukee Leader and
tho New York Cali from second -class
mailing privileges the newspapers Of
the country. regardless Of their opin-
ions concerning the policies Of the
periodicals in question, hailed the
step as a victory for the freedom Of
the press. In thus reversing the policy
OF his predecessor. the majority Of
writer's feel. with the Lynchburg News
9oemocrauc), that Mr.. Hays has
scored when he declares that period
icaIe charged with violation of the
nations laws should be dealt with by
post once.
Among the very few who feel that
MT. 6urIeson had some excuse for his
action 10 the Muncie Star undepend-
shI en- repuolican). which explains that,
against paesss DaH's ssS 10 Dueas worse e'a%Ss eSe
s,s rCstmaster General took it upon him
seit 70 curb the operations of the
publishers In the Berger class" and
the Muskegon Chronicle Gndepend-
ehoi en-. usIn while -. It supports the logic Of
not possible. when the life of a ma
tion Is at stake, to tolerate attacks
from within that weaken the govern
ment' and thereby aid the enemy.
mus mus making some restraint upon
the latter. there is something to be
sald Tor the present Postmaster Cen
erais action. In this connection the
columbus. Ohio. Dispatch Undepend-
ent): Is careful to remark that this
must NOT be taken as meaning. how
vytI hAr
atter circulate without question any
tnlng which revolutionary agitators
choose to print"
Many writers not only applaud Mr.
nays act Tor its theoretical value.
put feel that it will have a practical
6eneht. for. in the words Of the
Duluth Herald independently. sup
preston never stopped a righteous
cause. and an unrighteous cause, in
the end. defeats itself" To this be-
tied ns tne New Haven Journal-Courier
mat tine license given loud takers
and the liberties granted radical pub
!lcations do more ito undermine that
kind OF class consciousness" than amy
other course could do" Many pre-
nave been advocated in America and
have withered and died under a salu-
tary tolerance" says the New York
Tribune (republican). and the Roa-
noke (Va.) WorldNews (democratic)
adds that II the radicals talk long
enough they will simply talk their
cause to death" Indeed, in the opin-
ION Of the South Bend Tribune Gnde-
pendent republican,. the Hays edict
has dealt the anarchists a body
blow"
One newspaper. at least. feels that
the country has suffered a distinct
loss In withholding from circulation
tne radical expression during war
time. The st. Louis Globe-Democrat
Gepublicanl says: The undoubted
tion against radical papers and papers
OF small support in public opinion. to
bring into reproach and contempt any
dissent whatever from the admins
tration and its professed purposes
reached in Mr.. Burleson its highest
exemplincation. it is too early to
estimate how much it cost the coun-
try by intimidatfng. or at least re-
straining. through spurious notions of
civic duty, valuable and construc-
tive criticism that might have pre-
vented waste and abuses"
For the most part the newspapers
content themselves with general
praise of the policy Of IAN admins
tration of the post Office according
to law" to quote the Providence
according to bureaucratic methods"
There never was a sounder de-
cision." says the Norfolk Ledg-
er-Dispatch independent democratic).
and the Grand Rapids Herald (repub-
lican) believes mfr. Hays is vigor-
ously right"
This course announced by the Post
master General. according to the
Springfield Union trepublican), gives
"a logical and proper definition Of the
natural relations of his department to
the freedom of the press" SO Clearly
proper" indeed, in the eyes of the
Florida Times-Union (democratic),
that that paper cannot see how any
man could have thought otherwise
or have been permitted to act as IL
he thought otherwise" Sound sense
and good American doctrine" is the
terse comment of the Chicago News
independently.
The result of this step. the Kansas
City journal (republican) comments
makes AN important contribution to
the efforts Of the Harding admin
istration to correct the numerous
evils of the past few years." among
which, the Detroit Free Press Gnde-
pendefit) declares, this "outgrowth of
absolutism" was one Of the least
"defensible."
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
(democratic) finds it Encouraging"
to have evidence that the post office
is to be conducted strictly within
the law Of its being and not trench
upon the. authority of the courts to
call the press to account for abuse
of its freedom The New York
Evening Post independently finds
Mr.. Hays Statement of principle"
a precedent buttressing the free
dom Of the press"