New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-26
IIRERTY Is LICENSE.

The freedom of the press Is one thlnT inc
license of the press another. Tho Jour
nal, which deliberately ignore this distinction
are the only enemies which the press has to
fear in these days. Its foes without long ago
became of no account II Is the foes within It's
own lines against which it now has need to arm
itself. Congress shall make no law, says the
Constitution of the United States, "abrdgng
the freedom of speech or of the press and 4
similar provision will be found in all the state
constitutions Is there any danger that this
Injunction will ever be abroCated? Probably
NOT but the fact remains that there are news
papers in this country to-day pursuing a policy
well calculated to produce public sentiment
which some Of these days may demand that
censorship of the press be established.
What is this policy? 1t is, in word, a pol
lev which teaches by example that private HE
has no rights which a newspaper is bound to
respect "A mans house is his castle" Is the
familiar phrase 10 express the idea that there
are ,anctiticS attaching TO home, which, other
things being equal cannot in justice or doccncy
bc invaded. The policy Of the newspapers Wa
have in mind is founded upon radically diller-
cnt conception of the significance of man
house. They regard it, not aS anything in the
nature of castle, but rather a place rs prop
crly open to the public gaze and printed com
mcut AS a skating-rinI< As result OF tins
outrageous policy ono not inirequcntIy secs
publications ira the newspapers which excite
the Indignation Of all reputable people, which
are absolutely mdcfcnSihlc and which, never
,hcIc,,. cannot Dec easily reached by law Thus
is the freedom Of the press grossly abused and
brought into di,rcpute. If the time ever
comes. aS come 1t may, when, growing intoler-
ant Of newspaper license, the people rise IN
their majesty and devise measures 10 put an
end to it. the pres, J., likely to suffer. For
history tcachc, that when the populaco is bent
,uon curing an evil it does not always dScrim-
mate. Sometimes. in rs zeal for the ending oi an
abuse. il curtaiS the lawful use. Hence self
interest. not 20 speak of higher motives. ought
10 lead Self-rcSpectinc journals to place mo
brand OF their condemnation upon those OF an
other sort. One hears great deal OF the
powa of the press. II is tremendous force
|, il not strong enough 10 make ultra-pcrNonal
journalism improbable and therefore impoN-
shlc?
\ recent shocking example of the sort OF
journalism which, being nuisance, ought 10
be abatcd. is furnished 10y "A newspaper when
lately gave an account of the appearance OF Il
number of women who are in society IN one
Of our American cities. Not one Of these
women is public character. None of them are
charged with the commission of any offence.
They are all pursuing the even tenor OF their
WAYS in private life Nevertheless, this news
paper turns the sunlight Of publicity upon
them. describing them with a c0arSeneSS ana
a vligarity that are simply abominahle. mus
one of them is said 10 wear gown which tends
"to conceal her rather awkward figure An
other has "a very homcIy and rather Nullen
face 4 third has ian intensely dlNagrccable
expression" fourth has IA bad figure land
she walks rs if she had swallowed an umbrella
and il had grown against her backbone
Douglas Jerrold once said that there were com
pcnsations in all yOcatiOnS. and that II he were
an undertaken there were some people whom
he could serve professionally with great salts
faction What manly undertaken would nor
serve professionally with great satisfaction an
editor who had shown himself capable Of NAL
treating innocent and dcfencelcSs women?