The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 21, 1918, Page 6

M et ek BA NN e ey s e el il 7] s o Y Nonpartisan Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week Entered as second-class matter September 8, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, Minnesota, under the Act of March 8, 1879, OLIVER S. MORRIS, Editor A. B. GILBERT, Associate Editor B. 0. FOSS, Art Editor Advertising rates on applicetion. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50 ;, six months, $1.50. Please do not e checks, drafts nor money orders payable to indi- . viduals. Address all letters and make all remittances to The Nonpartisan Leader, Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS THE S. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertising Representatives, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City. ————— e T i M e Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to doubt or questicn the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns. the suppression of a recent issue of the Nation, after it had been held up by postoffice bureaucrats, it is evidence that the president does not intend to let the postoffice be used to stifle in- dependent criticism of men and measures by liberal publications, IF THE report is true that President Wilson himself prevented even if we are at war. The Nation does not belong to the group of the press frequently called “socialistic,” “pro-German” or “an- archistic.” It is an eminently respectable journal of opinion be- - longing to the group of which the New Republic and the Public are the two other .chief members. : The alleged offense of the Nation was an editorial entitled “The ZAMERICAS™ ¥ RE SOURCES. 7 7 ALl D One Thing Needful,” a criticism of Samuel Gompers and a plea for a better understanding among the peoples of the countries at war, brought about through lifting the ban -on discussions in America concerning the activities of labor groups and the Socialist party in Europe. The Nation suggested that European labor leaders be permitted to speak for themselves, and complained that such men as Gompers and Spargo went to Europe “as salesmen to gell the war,” rather than as reporters and intelligent critics to inform - the American people of European conditions. It is difficult to un- . derstand how such comment, no matter whether one agreed with it or not, could be distorted by postoffice bureaucrats into a’ vio- lation of the sedition laws. : : _If President Wilson’s reported action on behalf of the Nation means more direct control by him of the postoffice machinery deal- - “ing with liberal publications, friends of civil liberty and free speech : - will have less anxiety for the safety of democratic institutions in America, against which privilege and the reactioharies are mak-- ing a gigantic agsault under cover of war enthusiasm. We have become used to the wholesale suppression of the radical press, but the public has taken it for granted that the gag has been applied only to pro-German and seditious journals, concerning whose guilt there was no doubt. To such, the action against the Nation may come as a shock, but, if they flave been closely following postoffice rulings, not so much of a shock after all.- Only last winter the perfectly respectable Metropolitan magazine, featuring editorials of the patriot.Roosevelt, was victim of a postoffice suppression or- der, and more recently, we understand, the Public, staunch’ sup- p:lr&er of the war and of the president, had a couple of issues .. The Non'fiarhsanLeagler, generally ;:bx:mideied a.rhdi‘éal‘.. pub- lication, has nothing to complain: of in the ‘treatment it has re- ceived from the postoffice. So far as we know, none of our issues - has ever been even “questioned, and four state newspapers, pub- AG: R SR R B e i s e A AR AT DT I lished by the publishers of the Nonpartisan Leader, have been admitted to the mails since the war. But nevertheless we are frank to say that, knowing the hate for this publication in certain quarters, we will feel safer if the president himself, rather than the postoffice bureaucrats who have acted against the Nation, the Public and the Metropolitan, is to review postoffice suppression or- ders in the future. Therefore we hope that it was through the president’s interference that the Nation was Testored to the mails, and that his review of the case has established a precedent. With the Nation we can say: : It would be very easy to ridicule Messrs. Lamar and Burleson, or to wax sarcastic at their expense. We have no desire to do either, for we pity their plight and have for them a good deal of sympathy. For one thing, they are between two fires—between the liberals who demand as their constitutional right the privilege of dissent, and the reactionaries who would out-kaiser the kaiser. Tons of mail pour in upon them, mostly abusive, from both sides. They can not personally read all the press; hence a horde of underlings untrained for such a task assist with such results as the suppression of Unity for pub- lishing a poem of Browning’s, and the Freeman’s Journal (what’s in -~ a name?) for printing figures, facts and arguments compiled last year by Amos Pinchot, which Mr. Kitchin appears to have used freely this year in drawing the pending financial legislation. Such needless official injustice, stupidity and unfairness have been recorded under this dangerous and all-embracing espionage act that if Mr, Wilson’s interference means a more liberal policy towards the press, if it should foreshadow the end of narrow official control and the appoint- ment of a board of press revision consisting of men like Albert Shaw, William Allen White and Herbert Croly—all pro-war liberals—this experience of the Nation may prove a milestone in the never-ending battle for editorial freedom and editorial liberty of conscience. -— A FARM PAPER THAT BACKED UP WO years ago, when the work of organizing the American farmers for political and economic action was still mostly a North Dakota proposition-and had not yet threatened the politicians and beneficiaries of special privilege in Iowa, Suc- cessful Farming, a farm paper published at Des Moines, : Iowa, hailed the new movement with enthusiasm. The editor of Success- ful Farming, Alson Secor, went to North Dakota to gather, first hand, the facts about the Nonpartisan league and its work, and as a result Successful Farming published a number of articles and editorials boosting the new movement. : ; ' But alas! Things have changed since then. The League spread to Iowa, among other states. The League in Towa today is exactly what it was in North Dakota two years ago. - But now Successful Farming is against it. It is constantly taking what it thinks are sly digs at the League, and its representatives are openly boasting that the publication is against the League, and are “knocking” other farm papers that are supporting it.: . : What has happened is this: The League has come. too close to home for the comfort of Successful Farming. While it was a distant North Dakota proposition, it was safe to boost it, as this gave a progressive tone to the paper without arousing any of the ‘publication’s friends in Towa. But now the League DOES menace ‘the politicians and special privilege seekers:in Iowa, and Successful Farming has been unwilling to antagonize those interests. its new attitude toward the League. ’ To be against the:League or refuse to boost it makeé friends of the big interests, and the big interests control lots of advertis- Hence WRETCH ! pont You | DARE SHOVE WM OFF ¢ ing" for what they believe in. * R R - Following is part of what Successful Farming said about League two years ago. The Leagg’e has not changed since - ‘some Farm papers often prefer advertigifig revenue tot—andmg up: - >