Description:

Woodrow Wilson TLS Re: "possibility of excluding certain publications from the mails" - 3 Years Before 1917 Espionage Act

A 1p typed letter signed by 28th U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) as "Woodrow Wilson" at center right. July 1, 1914. [Washington, D.C.] Typed in blue ink on watermarked bifold paper embossed "The White House / Washington" at the letterhead. Blank inner pages and outer pages. Expected wear including flattened paper folds and a slightly wrinkled right edge. Isolated typed ink smearing, else near fine. 7" x 8.875."

President Wilson wrote this letter to U.S. Senator from New York James A. O'Gorman (1860-1943), in part:

"I have your letter of June twenty-seventh about the important matter of the possibility of excluding certain publications from the mails. I will have an investigation made both of the law and the facts and will discuss the matter personally with the Postmaster General…"

It is not entirely clear what sort of publications Senator O'Gorman was lobbying for excluding from the U.S. mail, but it was likely material considered inappropriate during the era. Laws were already on the books prohibiting the interstate delivery of sexually explicit material as well as lottery advertisements.

The scope of censorship was significantly widened three years later by the passage of the 1917 Espionage Act (effective June 15, 1917). The wartime legislation granted Postmaster General Albert S. Burleson (1863-1937) the authority to confiscate printed materials, which, through either intelligence or disinformation, were deemed to be detrimental to the American war effort. Open to individual interpretation, the censorship clause of the Espionage Act led to the impounding of a range of publications, from pro-Catholic and populist weeklies to pacifist periodicals, and socialist monthlies.

James A. O'Gorman served on term as U.S. Senator from New York, from 1911-1917. Prior to that, he was a New York Supreme Court Justice from 1900-1911 and from 1902-1906 the Grand Sachem of the Tammany Society.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 21, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000