The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-12
Daily Ea9le
NJ NJ MURDOCK, Editor.
GAG THE NEWSPAPERS.

The hope of the people, under gov
eminent of their own devising, for their
freedom and institutions, is in the
press. There is no other power or safe
guard equal TO the organized political
sculduggery developed Of late years.
Without the newspaper, communities,
states and the nation alike would fall as
victims beneath the robbery rule and
high-handed usurpation of organized
gangs known as political rings. New
York, the Empire state of the nation,
today writhes hopelessly beneath the
thumb of a single politician who IS NOT
a patriot in any true sense, but boss
of thousands just like himself in every
thing only wanting his power. The only
instrumentality which ever worries
these boss combinations and causes
them to pause in their Vaccinations is
the outspoken editor through the col
umns CT a fearless and independent
newspaper. 1t is impossible for organ
ization to meet organization. Honest
men confronted as they are with the
problems and demands of bread-and-
butter existence have not the time nor
prportunity to learn the tricks of the
politician and TO defeat them by counter
organization. The only power dreaded
hy the ever existent political rings and
bosses. great and small, is the newspa-
,Nf+ 1,e lao. S-,.rrla d
state of New York a bill is pending
which provides for a board of newSpa-
per ceiisors one for each county Of ten
thousand inhabitants, whose duty it
shall be to pass upon all editorials with
a political bearing before they appear
in print. OF course this is a scheme Of
corrupt machine politicians and, of
course, if the bill becomes a law ma
chine politicians will be selected by the
local gangs, respectively, as press cen
sors. With the voice of the newspaper
silenced there would be no end TO the
opportunities for boodling and corrup-
ton and no danger of after exposure.
The people of New York would be
justified in mobbing every representa-
tive who votes for such high-handed
piece of Russian gag outrage, and OF
political scoundrelism. There is but one
adequate punishment for the advocate
of such an un-American measure, and
thai is hanging. No doubt the sensa-
tional and dirty lying sheets printed in
the city of New York go far in their
wandering TO vice and to low life gen
orally. But that is an abuse which Will
be cured by the conditions brought
about by the abuse itself. No legisla-
ture Of any state outside of New York
can silence the editorial pen or stop the
newspaper press, or even prescribe
what may be written or published
about or against politicians and Office
seeking rings, in the interest of honesty
and the welfare of the general public.
The Pop legislature of Kansas would
have 4 happy time should it attempt
to prevent the Eagle, for instance, from
designating them as incompetent and
for deDouucing them as Self-cOnfeSSed
boodlers. There is no jail in Kansas
strong enough to hold any editor who
tells the truth, especially when such
truth is self -evident Still the dread of
the political bOodler and public roDber
is the newspaper, and the boodler and
robber are on top in New York, and
we sometimes fear, IN Kansas.