The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-08-24
A FREE PRESS.

have been indicted for libel we
presume the courts will undertake
to define the extent Of the free
dom OF the press. We think 1t
quite time that this important
question be adJudicated IN this
State. There is considerable differ
ence of opinion, but The opinion in
each case as rendered by the press
and people generally depends upon
whose OK is gored. Our opinion
has always been that the press is
the public Waterman, and should
fearlessly, boldly and ~truthfully
give the alarm Of danger whenever
the public interests demands it.
But there are are times when the
public interest demands something
more than the mere statements of
cold facts. Public men, doings.
and measures must be discussed,
the wrongs and and dangers must
be poiated out. Herein we main
tain that the press must be given
latitude, else the public journal
would be a lifeless machine, a faith
less Waterman and a tinkling Gym
bal of uncertain sounds. No such
state Of affairs was ever intended
in this country. 1t is a very re-
cent thing that the curbing Of the
press has seemed good, and its
freedom hurtiul.
Scarcely ten years have passed
since the Mississippi Democratic
press did yeoman service in crying
out the inlquities of thievIng Off
Gals, exposing not only wicked
measures and jobs, but wicked
characters as we'll. 1t was largely
through The fundamentally of a
bold and fearless Democratic press
that the State was wrested from
carpetbag rule. Through the press
the people poured out their Walls
of honest wrath upon the heads of
corrupt men and officials. 1t was
then good that the press should be
free, and following upon that free
dom the people were made free. Is
it not good to-day? Will any of
tender-tOed citizens contend that
our public men and public MEAS
ures + wholly without guile?
No man of intelligence would.
We are all aware that there are
plenty of wicked men among us
ready to betray the public conf
dence.
Then away with your niceties of
propriety and hail a bold and fear
less press that will point them out
as they come to the front, and bold
ly proclaim "thou art the man!n
No matter if 1t is personal. No
man is publicly good who is person
ally vile. The press has nothing
to do with private character, how
ever, except as it bears upon the
public interest. Journalists are
not invaluable, and often wantonly
or ignOrantlv 60 too lar, but we
must not allow ourselves to become
hysterical on this newly painted
ghost of personal journalism"
We believe that, of all the editors
of the State, there are none who
have, SO far as their courage would
permit, been more given to person.
ating than some of those who so
yociferously cry out to-day against
personal journalism.
Let them who are innocent cast
the first stone at b. I. Hobbs, now
indicted for libel of Jones S. Ham
ilton, and let them examine their
files and note how they have used
the name and private character of
this same young editor. We are
not fully informed of the nature
of the indictments against him or
any of the others, except that re-
marKable document from the Lau.
derdale county grand jury against
the editors of the Democrat, but
whatever they may be we have
very little sympathy for such midi
vidual tests applied only to indi-
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