The Brookhaven leader., 1888-09-13
\ FREQ Press.

As several editors Of this State have
been indicted for libel, we presume
The courts will undertake To define
the cxtCut of the freedom of the press,
We think it quite time that this inn
portant question be adiudicatcd in
this State. There il considerable
difference Of opinion, hut the opinion
i'll ~ ch case rs rendered Ivy the press
and people generally depends upon
" hose OK is gored. Our opinion has
always been that the press is the pub
liz Waterman. and should fcarlcssly.
boldly and truthtuily give the alarm
Of danger whenever the public inter
est demands it. But there are times
when the public interest demands
something more than the mere state
mcnt Of cold facts. Public men, do
incr ard measures must hc discussed,
the wrongs and dangers must I've
pointed out. Herein we maintain
that the press must bc given latitude.
else the public journal would be II
lifclcss machine taithlcsS watch
man and tiukling cNmhal of unccr-
tain sounds. No such state of affairs
was even intended in this country.
1t is Il very recent thing that tn"
rurhng of the press has seemed good.
and its freedom hurtful.
Scarcely ten years have passed since
the Mississippi Democratic press did
ycoman service in crying ont the in
ipuitics of thicving officials, exposing
not only wicked measures and jobs.
but wicked characters as we'll. 1t
was largely through the instrument
alty of bold and fearless Democrat
IT, press that the state was vrcStCd
from carpethag 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 I've
free, and following upon that freedom
the people were made free. Is it not
good today Will any of onr tender
tocd citizens contend that our public
men and public measures are wholly
without guile? No man of iutelli-
gence would. We are all aware that
there are plenty of wicked men
among us ready to hetray the public
confidence.
Then away with Your nicetics of
propricty and hail bold and fearless
press that will point them ont us they
come to the front, and boldly pro
claim. thou art the man. No matter
if it is personal. No man is publicly
good who is personally vile. The
press has nothing to do with private
character, however. except rs it bears
upon the public interest. Journalists
are not infallihle, and often wantonly
or ignorantly 60 too far, but We must
not allow ourselves to become hystcr-
ical on this newly painted ghost of
personal journalism" We believe
that. of all the editors of the State,
there are none who SO far as their
courage would permit. have been
more given to pcraomating than some
of those who so vocitcrouSly cry out
to-day against personal Journalism.
Let those who are innocent east the
first stone ut b. +. Hobbs. now in
dictrd torlihel of j. 5. Hamilton. 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: cN-
cept that remarkable document from
Laudcrdal" county grand jury against
the editors of the Democrat. but what
ever they may he we have very little
sympathy for such individual tests
applied only 10 individuals of the
same class. PoscugoHla Demo"ra'-
Star.