West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-06-10
NEWSPAPER LEGISLATION.
Some Light on The Subject Of The
Legislature and the Newspapers.
An Able and Valuable Article Writ.
ten by one Who Knows Whereof
lie Writes.

Tho following paper was pre-
pared at the special request OF tn,
President, by Hon. W. l. Mansfield
editor Of the Wayne NecS aud ,
mem ber of tho Legislature. for tn,
| S9I session OF the State Editoria
Association at Weston. 1t deserve,
very careful and even prayerfu
reading by every newspaper man in
the State, and particularly should
every mem Der or prospective mem
Der OF the Legislature read and re
fleet upon the criticisms and com
menis contained in this article. |,
Is so woll and ably written that i,
Is also Of great interest TO tho gen
eral pubic and we therefore give II
space IN our paper and hope to see
II appear IN other papers Of the
State. -EDIToR ARGUS.
The Legislature Of 1897 is regard.
ed by newspaper men Ms having
been extremely hostile to newspaper
interests. Whether this inimical
disposition was guided by an ear
nest and sincere motive to reform
what was believed to DO an existing
evil, or simply tho ruse OF fow
demagogues to win popular up
plause by pretending to reform
evils that really do not exist, the
newspaper men do not and prob
ably never will definitely know.
SO far us practical results arc con
cerned it does not matter what
spirit prompted the movement or
what influence actuated the attack
upon their material interests.
The potent influence of the press
in developing embryo statesmen is
admitted and recognized, and as a
rule, legislatures are prudent and
cautious in dealing with measures
that affect the income Of newspaper
publishers. Local politicians owe
their discovery, origin and growth,
to large extent, to the local press
and are slow to arouse the antapen-
ism or invoke the wrath Of the
power to which they are indebted
for their political being. While
they have not shown an eagornesg
to ran the gauntlet Of public disap-
proyal by a prodigal increase n the
patronage Of the newspapers, they
hHve manifested their good Will
and demonstrate their sound dis
cretlon by leaving untouched the
patronage they already have. This
has been the rule in the past, but
indiscreet and Impetuous men some
times violate rules and oyerturn
precedents.
The Legislature Of 1895 began
the crusade against the newspapers
In moderate way, by arbitrarily
refusing to appropriate money to
pay for advertising done for the
State under contract with competent
authority and in pursuance Of law.
Some Of the members who had
abetted or ceuntenanced the wrong
done the newspapers at the session
of 1895, by the open repudiation Of
an honest debt, returned to the
session Of 1897 intent on thrusting
the keen knife Of hostile legislation
still deeper into the vitals Of the
newspaper men. On the day pre.
vious to the opening Of the session
OF 1897 when the writer was intro.
duccd as p newspaper man to
prominent Senator, the Senator re
marked with apparent qualification,
that the previous session had made
10 rough for tho editors and that
there is yet room for greater re-
form Of evils on the same hue.
This is quoted as strong evidence
Of prcmeditatlon in the attack that
followed. The interim Of two years
had not allayed the deeply seated
prejodices manifested in 1898, but
on The contrary the inordinate
thirst for the lifo-blood Of the
editors had increased instead Of
having abated.
Az no previous session had there
been such n strong and well-de-
yelopcd disposition to lop of The
patronage Of the newspapers. Nor
has there been o session when the
publishers Of newspapers were lcss
prepared TO sootho the clamor
against them, or repeal tho direct
assaults made upon their interosts.
or The nincty.soven members of the
two branches or The Legislature.
the newspaper men could muster
but three active representatives
one iu tbo Senate and two lon The