Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-06-13
PRESS PRIVILEGES.
Demand Made by the League
49, of Newspapermen.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION SACRED,

And Not To He ssGiven Away 1t the He.
Business at Washington - Resolution
Adopted-view Of tho Convention ON the
Proper Sort Of Libel Law-Statute That
L. Recommended.
PHILADELPHIA, June 13-The fifth an
nual convention of the International
council chamber in Independence hall
and will be in session four days. Pen
and pencil wielders from all the leading
press clubs from Maine to California are
in attendance. Resolutions were intro
duced having for their object the making
privileged of information obtained by
newspaper men SO that they cannot be
required to tell in court where they OBJ
tain the Information upon which they
base charges against citizens or officials.
Action Taken in the Matter.
These resolutions were among the first
things attended to at the second session
of the convention. They were called up
by General Felix Angus, of the Baltimore
American. General Angus said that the
dignity of the press having bean insulted
again and again" In the age of electricity
in which we live and in which news is SO
rapidly multiplied he thought there was q
desire to belittlc the newspaper profession.
1--WE come" said he, ito protest against
insults to our profession, to the toilers
and workers." and then he related the
history of the cases of John S. Shrivcr. Of
the New York Mail and Express, and +.
j. Edwards, of The Press of this city,
who published the sugar trust informa.
ton that led to their SUMMONS before the
United State senate committee. General
Angus said that the press sometimes takes
poor boy and by its power makes him
judge, yet he turns on those who elevated
him. The press should be privileged as
to ITS information the Vame as tho law,
the pulpit, and medicine
Laws Demanded for Protection.
Joel Cook, of this city, said that the
matter was the one weakness of the pro.
fession and comes from the fact that 1t is
younger than the professions mentioned.
He believed that the press had power to
have laws recognizing the sacrcdness of
the confidence between the giver of infor-
nation and the newspaper man. A reso-
luton was then offered by Charles Emory
Smith, of the Philadelphia Press, and
after earnest and feeling speech-makiIg
was adopted. 1t read: "That the Inter-
national League of Press Clubs urges all
press clubs, members of the league, to
appoint committees to secure from the
legislatures Of the various states in which
such league clubs are located the adop-
ton of laws to protect newspaper men in
preserving inviolatc confidential informa-
ton communicated to them in the ordi-
nary course of their duties
Smiths Tribute to the Young Mon.
Following the reading of the resolu-
ton Smith said: Il want to speak as q
proprietor and chief. We are especially
interested in the adoption of this policy,
because we believe it peculiarly due to the
active working members of the profess
sion. If in the past l have correctly OBJ
served the young men about me, such as
those here, there is not one worthy mem.
Der in that profession whoiwould not rath-
or rot in Jail than betray his confidence"
Tremendous applause greeted this trib-
ute, and Smith followed it up by ex-
pressing the belief that newspaper men
were more careful in their condolences
than the average man in public life.