Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-09-13
THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS, ETC.

republic is, it seems hard to define. In this
country we always associate the idea with
that of democracy 1t is to be further said
that the popular notion of democracy is not
only government established and maintained
by the popular will, but political fabric
whose structure and workings, officers and
their administration of public affairs are al
ways open to the freest criticism. Also, it is
pretty generally conceded that the critic, par
excellence, of our democratical institutions is
the press. Unsuccessful libel suits, every
day occurring, proclaim the fact that whenever
any man accepts public Office he is at once
at the mercy of any assaiiant who can gain
access to types and printers ink. Just now
Gambetta and his associate in the publishing
business are under sentence of fine and i'm
prisonment for the publication of speech de-
livered by that bold agitator in which he
limited tina. President Mcmahon must respect
the popular will with regard to certain things
especially it's policy toward Rome-or re-
sign his office. This seems a light effense
here, where no words, however violent, no
matter where uttered, are held to be an Of
Tense against the government. Indeed, sedi-
ton is wiped out of the political dictionary in
the United States We do not even make
open treason at all odious. Five of the prin-
cipal Republican papers of Paris have been
sliced for taking Gambettas part. There
would seem to be no such thing in Franco
as liberty of the press. Newspaper publish
ers must conform to certain very rigid and in
flexible rules or take the consequences. This
is the penalty of the press, whatever name is
given to the government. The highest au
thority is always imperial as well as imperious.
Neither the press nor the Stage, nothing, in
deed, unless it be the Church, is ever recog-
nized as the equal of the government. On
the contrary, here the government has no
rights or powers or dignities which the press
is bound to respect. Naturally one thinks of
the need of happy medium-a compromise
between the two extremes. If the press of
France is too much hampered and censorized,
the press of the United States has too unres-
trained a license. The consequences are not
unlike. In France, the unbridled authority
of the Government over the press breeds a
spirit of intolerance which cannot but exer
else deleterious influence upon the people
and the institutions of the country Here,
press whose conductors are at liberty to assail
every man and every thing which is presented
to their notice, possesses the power, as it exer
cises the influence to destroy all sense of pop
ular regard for the forms of government here |
in vogue. The differences are inevitable: If
he French custom is right, the republic of
etters as represented in part by the press, is
republic of slaves and not of free and en-
ightened action. If the press tyranny of the
he institutions of the Republic unworthy of
popular respect and disentitled to the conf
lence of the people. We boast of our " Re
publican simplicity of manners" We resent
ny assumptions or appearance of dignity in
,fice. Our officials must always be made to
eel that they are the creatures of the popular
hoice. The press shares this excessively
emocratical feeling. There are no big-wigs
ere. This jealousy of any effort or appear
nee of aristocracy in official life is we'll enter
aimed. But are not the people themselves
reated with something very like contempt
Then their chosen representatives are bedrag-
led before their eyes and held up, unjustly,
0 the scorn of the on-looking worldl If ,as we
uggest, a grievous error exists here, it would
eem to be the highest duty of the press, r
'hich is the accepted instructor of the people, y
, preserve a higher and purer tone. Too
luch are presses and printers ink and edi
,rs brains at the service of sordid interests. T
90 much warped and narrowed and belittled
thin the influence of factions and selfish
otives are the conductors of the more in -
uential newspapers of the country. Where, !,
len, lies the remedy7 Not in government
for that is but transferment of
lie evil, not it's amelioration or abatement
he remedy lies within the press itself. Ply
clan, heal thyself There must come time t,
the golden future when the fierce unruly is
'irit which now makes our daily papers 7
ourge in the hands of unjust judges shall ri
I've become softened and made more refined 6
ID charitable. The Office of detective or a T
lblic accuser degrades its incumbent. The nj
of this Republic, if they are worth a.
nserving, will live and thrive and perform PC
cir appointed parts with efficiency and for
n ,o,,bI;o ,,,a,1 ,rifhort haino constantly nm