The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-30
LIBERTY VS.. LICENSE.

The freedom of the press is one thing;
the license of the press another. The jour
nels which deliberately ignore this dis
tinction are the only enemies which the
press has to fear in these days. Its foes
without long ago became of no account.
1t is the foes within its own lines against
which it now has need to arm itself.
Congress shall make no law" says the
Constitution of the United States,
abridging the freedom of speech or of the
press" and similar provision will be
found in all the State constitutions. Is
there any danger that this Injunction
will ever be abrogated ? Probably not;
but the fact remains that there are news
papers in this country to-day pursuing 8
policy well calculated to produce pub
lie sentiment which some of these days
may demand that a censorship of the
press be established.
What is this policy 1t is, in a word a
policy which teaches by example that pri-
vate life has no rights which a newspaper
is bound to respect. "A mans house is
his CASTLE" is the familiar phrase to ex
press the idea that there are sanctitles
attached to home, which, other things
being equal, cannot in JUSTIFY or decency
be invaded. The policy of the newspa.
pers we have in mind is founded upon a
radically different conception of the sig
nlficance of a mans house. They re-
gard 1t, not as anything in the nature OF
a castle, but rather as place as prop
erly open to the public gaze and printed
comments as a skating rink. AS re-
suit of this outrageous policy one not in
frequently sees publications in the news.
papers which excite the indignation Of
all reputable people, which are absolutely
ipdefensible and which, neverless, can.
not be easily reached by law. Thus il
the freedom of the press grossly abused
and brought into disrepute. If the time
eyer comes, as come it may, when, grow
ing intolerant of newspaper license, the
people rise in their majesty and de
wise measures to put an end to it, the
press Is likely to suffer. For history
teaches that when the populace is bent
upon curing an evil it does not always
discriminate. Sometimes, in Its zeal FOL
the ending of an abuse, it curtails the
lawful use Hence self-interest, not &c
speak of higher motives, ought to lead
self.respecting journals to place thu
brand Of their condemnation upon thOst
of another sort. One hears a great dea
of the power Of the press. 1t is tire
mendous force. 1t 10 not strong enough
to make ultrs-personal journalism I'M
profitable and therefore impossible?
A recent shocking example OF the sor
of journalism which, being nuisance
ought to be abated. lie furnished by :
newspaper which lately gave an sccouu
of the appearance of a number of womer
who are in society in one Of our Ameri
can cities. Not one of these women i
a public character. None of them ar
charged with the commission of any Of
Tense. They are all pursuing the eveT
tenor of their ways in private life
Nevertheless, this newspaper turns tn
sunlight of publicity upon them, de
scribing them with a courseness and
yulRarity that are simply abominable
Thus one of them is said to wear a cow
which tends "to conceal her rather awk
ward figure" Another has "a yer.
homely and rather sullen face"
third has "an intensely disagreeable e1
nression.m A fourth has a bad figure
land she walks as il she had swallowe
an umbrella and it had grown agsinI
her backbone" Douglas Jerrold ono
said tina. there we're compensations ]
ali yocations, and that il he were an III
dertaker there were some people whol