Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-30

The mod taste and good Judgment o.
CONSCIENTIOUS journalist are pretty SAFE
.o,i4as a. 70 his duties and rights IN the
7sa,+er of commenting upon the acts Of
public officials. He should never alio"
himself 70 do a wrong. even n an enemy,
or allow his pen 10 20 beyond the limits Of
decency and justice. II is not often thai
these rights ara passed upon by the courts
ar that the Interpretation Of the common
law on the subject Is invoked,
although abuse and Misrepresentation are
daily to he seen in many newspapers "a
absolute Islander j. by Do means a rare
occurrence. We boast q the freedom Of
the press. and should maintain H. but
thai ilertv should not be abused, not
oalv on moral grounds, but because lis
abuse lessons the influence Of the press
and tends 70 the general Decentralization
Il society.
1t would doubtless be well for the press
and others concerned we're the lines more
clearly drawn between proper eensure
and INST criticism and vituPeration and
abuse. for here and there are 10 be found
so-called journalists who are controlled
bv no restraint in this matter except the
fl.se di.cft Of the Law.
In a case of libel brought recently
against the Providence Journal by an
ofnciaI d that city who had been severely
criticised. Chief Justice Durfee, q Rhode
Island. delivered the following opinion:
i think that a public newspaper has a
right 10 comment upon and crltlclse the
conduct Of a public officer in the discharge
Of his public duties i think that II the
publishers Of new sVaper discover " hal
tbeT consider 10 be defects in the Per
Torrance Of public duties, they have the
right 10 point them out. ii public 0fnceT
i in fault. and there are facts which sug-
gest fault on his part, / think that the
public press has a night 10 crltlclse and
10 ceusure him. II the publishers 81
newspapers have this freedom q CON-
ment thew must. Of course being fAillble
men. sometimes give utterance TO crit
cisms which are unjust and unfair,
and which wiser men. uneNclleu
and calm. might not approve. But gen.
rIemeu. il in the exercise Of this freedom
Of comment they act fairly and honestly.
and meaning 30 do what Il night Inc! can
not he held accountable. To hold them
10 account because they make an error Of
that Kind would be 10 shackle the publlc
press. II is Of great Importance 10 the
public that the newspapers should nave
this liberty. II public omoers commit
faults in the execution OF their pGUilc
duties and there should be none 70 cen
sure or 10 crIticise. the faults would grow
more and more intolersble. 10 the mani
fest peril Of the public welfare. and there
fore YOU can see that the public have q
great interest IN maintaining unshackled
the right Of the public press 10 freely and
fairly criticise the acts Of public on
Gals"
This case i here clearly put. and the
Judgment in the case il evidently Just
and proper. Almost invariably the press
Is called on t. take the lead IN the exposure
Of official wrong and corruption. and
when it acts with the public good in
view. and free from any presumption Of
malice. il should be protected by the
courts, and sustained by the people.
Ten states viii hold general elections
on the 9th Of November. only three Of them
Southern States. Mississippi Virginia
and Connecticut viii elect Legislatures
Nebraska. a supreme Court Judge; Penn
syIvsnia. an Auditor General and state
Treasurer: New York, Secretary Of State.
Treasurer. Comptroller. Attorney General
and Surveyor: New Jersey Mary land
Massachusetts and Minnesota viii elect
Governors and other state officers. In
Maryland q new Legislature i 70 be chosen
upon which deVolves the duty Of electIng
a United STATES senator. In View York,
PENNSYLVANIA and Virginia the elections
VII Be looked upon - important pointers
towards the probable result Of the Presi-
dental contest next year. In the other
States the results VIII lee q only local
interest with the exception q Massa-
cbusetts. on which We look with only 4
feeling Of curiosity. and enjoy the pum-
melting Butler and the stalwaTts are Civ
ing each other. a. the culcha-d B0stonians
do a sparTing match.