# Claim 118

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes dissented, warning the ruling treated access to the mail, nearly as essential to free speech as the ability to speak, as something a postmaster could take away.

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 1 source.

- Statement: Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes dissented, warning the ruling treated access to the mail, nearly as essential to free speech as the ability to speak, as something a postmaster could take away.
- Field: effect_on_reporting
- Value: Holmes dissent on mail access
- About: [incident 1917-us-burleson-mail-ban-milwaukee-leader](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1917-us-burleson-mail-ban-milwaukee-leader)
- Source: United States ex rel. Milwaukee Social Democratic Publishing Co. v. Burleson. https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/united-states-ex-rel-milwaukee-social-democratic-publishing-co-v-burleson/
- Publisher: The First Amendment Encyclopedia, Middle Tennessee State University
- Method: court record
- Checked: 2026-09-22
- Confidence: medium
- Status: current

## Quotation from the source

> The use of the mails is almost as much a part of free speech as the right to use our tongues.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/118. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.