New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-02
The Press and the Politicians.

seem to reveal conspiracy OF politicians
again ct the press. 1t is stated in the Boston
4drertiser that the Poland bill was drawn
by Mr.. Harrington, district attorney IN
then given to Mr.. Poland for presentation
in the House. This is very significant, IT
true. for soon after Congress adjourned,
while the report upon the affairs OF the dis
trict, severely censuriDg the government,
of which Mr.. Shepherd was chief, and ad-
visipg its abolition, was still fresh IN the
public mind, he laid a complaint before the
grand jury of the District against the edi-
tor of the New York San. Should the in
dictment be found. a citizen of New York,
for an alleged criminal offense committed in
that State, will be taken for trial out OF its
iurisdiction to the home of his accuser.
The constitution of the United States pro-
yides that ''in all criminal prosecutions the
accused shall enjoy the right to speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury OF the
State and district wherein the crime shall
have been committed" II it should be held
that the alleged crime Of the San was COM
mitted in Washington because copies Of the
paper were sold there, it was committed
wherever one copy was sold, and by such q
theory the editor and proprietor of newe.
paper would be liable to trial anywhere in
the country.
This point will, of course, be preliminar-
ily settled. No editor would suffer himself
to be taken out of his State for trial until
the courts of his State had conceded the
right to take him. And if that right exists.
if Congress can put every editor in the
country under the law Of the District of
Columbia, and bring him for trial before
it's courts, there is a Capitalization accom-
plished of which there has hitherto been no
suspicion, and which is a nOnstrOus blow
at Justice and liberty. The members of the
late District government, and especially its
chief, are undoubtedly very sore at the re-
suit of the investigation, and the summary
and significant action Of Congress. Mem
beers of Congress also are naturally often,
and not unjustly, angry with the news
papers that hold them up to ridicule and
contempt. For the power OF the press is
immense, however it may be characterized,
and however much it's influence may he de-
cried.
The power, as those know best who are
most familiar with the press. is often
abused for the meanest and most selfish pur-
poses. Indeed, newspaper morality has
with many persons come to mean very
inferior kind of morality, and unquestion-
ably editors often permit themselves to say
in their papers what they would hesitate
to say upon their own personal RESPONSE
bility.
But whatever the detects and offenses of
individual journals, the freedom Of the
press in the fullest and largest sense is to be
maintained at all hazards. Whatever those
Offenses may be, they are not more nor
worse than those of the politicians who
seek their revenge by such means as the
Poland law. The conspicuous and cheering
fact of the times is the relentless exposure
and punishment of corruption and extrava-
gance and want of honor and conscience in
every department of the public service,
national, State and municipal. And this is
the work of the press. 1t is Argus-eyed and
Briareus handed. Its agents, indeed, are
not often impertiDent, inquisitive, impu-
dent. But it is universally pervasive,
looking into everything, suspecting, testing,
guessing aloud, inquring, denouncing,
often finding a mares nest, and installing
the darkness of cupboard for the depth
less abyss of night. Yet if it's hands were
paraly zed and its eyes blinded and its
tongue silence because of their weaknesses
and abuses, there would be universal cry
for the liberty of unlicensed printing such
az that which Milton uttered in England
two centuries ago.
As the class of persons who are described
by the word politicians increases in this
country, as they form rings to procure legis
latiOn to make their plumber Of the public
legal-rings which produce laws for San
born contracts, for moieties, for district |
governments, and for every form of swind- |
ling-and as these rings become more au- |
daciOus and interruptions, it is a matter of |
the highest public interest that the press be |
encouraged to the most unhinching inquiry |
and the most unsparing exposure. But |
when the rings of politicians show, as they |
have shown formerly in New York, and |
now in Washington, that they are strong
enough to procure the passage OF laws to
gag and fetter the press, the country is
by grave danger. Mr.. Poland,
who introduced the bill, has written a |
letter to say that he was not thinking |
of the newspapers. But he does not say |
that he drew the bill; and it is very re-
markable that it supplies precisely what |
was wanting in the existing law to make it |
possible to try ell newspaper editors and |
proprietors in the country before the courts |
Of the District of Columbia. Mr.. Poland is |
. lawyer, and Representative in Congress
Of experience. How did this extraordinary |
fact escape him? And has it now occurred |
TO him that it is a fact, since the very first |
action under the amended law is that of |
Mr.. Shepherd against the editor OF the San
whom he tried in vain under the old law to |
Force to Washington TOR trial.
There are eminent editors who are men, |
,ers of Congress: Senator Anthony, for |
Instance, and Messrs. Ellis II. Roberts and |
Joseph X. Hawley in the House. And unless
hey take very different view OF this law |
rom that of their brethren OF the press, |
here can be but little doubt that upon the |
of Congress next winter they |
yilI move for repeal of the obnoxious |
ectiOns.-Harper'S Weekly.