The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-23


the apologists of that company or any
other. The want of popularity of that
company or any other can never of itself
be held to be a ground for investigating
the right of senators to their seats. If
| 1t be our duty on our own initiative and
without the slightest warrant from any
| known fact to Investigate whether cor
! poration has contributed or controlled the
| election of a senator in this body at any
| time, why stop at one corporation? Why
not prepare list of all corporations in
! the United States, call up the officers OF
each and examine into the question
| whether such corporations have, in any
wise, contributed to or controlled the cleo
| ton of a senator in this body at any
| time? The process of examination would
be endless and there would be no time
for the performance of any legislative
| duties"
The committee goes at length into the
question of the propriety of expelling from
| Senate press galleries or sending to prison
| newspaper correspondents who make
| false charges. taking a position against
| both suggestions. They say that expul-
sion from the gallery would be dispropor-
tionate to the offense, as the other gal
leries of the Senate would be open to the
| ofenders. 1t might even be, the COM
mittee adds, that the notoriety acquired
by correspondent by reason of such ex-
pulsion, instead of operating as a pun
ishment, would prove a source of promo,
| ton in his profession.
Furthermore, they conclude that such
punishment would have no influence upon
the newspaper propretors themselves,
and that, with the press associati lions COW
! ering the ground, it would be impossible
to deprive the paper from securing the
news.
The committee supply a list of prosecu-
| tons Of newspaper writer's by the Senate,
beginning with the case of William Duane
| OF 1900, from which the conclusion is drawn
that no very heavy penalties have been
! imposed for the recusancy of newspaper
| witnesses. AS to, the imprisonment of
| newspaper correspondents, editors or pub
fishers for making statements not war
| ranted by the fact the committee consider
that nothing but the impeachment of the
| gravest public interest should compel
resort to such an extremity
1T is out of the question on the eve of
| the twentieth century for any one to I'M
| dertake to imprison journalists for every
| vague, indefinite charge which they may
| circulate.
NO legislative bodies would be sustained
in such action by the enlightened public
opinion of the country
1T is no disparagement of legislative
| bodies to admit the invaluable function of
| the press in the maintenance of free gov
| eminent The function is too important
| to be subjected TO narrow restrictions or
circumscribed within illiberal bounds,
merely to correct a disposition to over
| severity of criticism. The remedy would
be worse than the disease legislators
who, in every loose and unsupported
! charge affecting the action of their body
| see the specter of accuse ton. and insist
| upon imprisonment in default of proof
! should take occasion to reflect upon the
injury that would be done to free govern
nv 10 at
bring to book the members of the press
| who exercised over-free.y the right of crit
| icism of public acts
while the right must ever be maintain
ed by the law-making power to protect
itself from assault whatsoever emanating,
yet the exercise of this right should be
| reserved fer occasions of extraordinary
| importance. Freedom of the press Is
| guaranteed by the constitution, IS essen
| tlal TO the existence of free government
and should not lightly be interfered with
Tine committee do not accept the view
| that the Senate will stand convicted of the
| charges if it does not officially d!sprove
| them.
Although "the report says, "the press
| is most powerful institution, we are very
confident that there is great exaggera-
| ton of its power. Neither do all the news
papers make these charges, nor believe
| them. The people who read newspa Ders
| gent to be so deceived. They are able to
gauge with reasonable judgment the de-
| cree of truth and of Importance to be at
/ tributed to the statements which they
| read"
| Reference is made in this connection to
| the gauntlet of newspaper criticism that
| every man elected to the Senate runs be-
| fore he reaches that goal, and the conclu-
| sion drawn is that their success is suffi-
| cient evidence that those who succeed are
worthy of the confidence Of the people who
send them, and this presumption, it is
| added Is one requiring evidence TO rebut.
| 1T would be extraordinary IT, uDon the
| appearance of every irresponsible and I'M
| supported charge, every senator were to
| be called up and catechised upon the as
| sumption that he had been guilty of some
| wrong or crime. This would be less con-
| sideration than is accorded even to the
| criminal in the dock. for the criminal is
| openly faced by his accuser, who is not
allowed 10 skulk behind parentless rumor.
| Some persons must, on the responsibility
| of any oath, father the charge against
| him, and even then, he IS assumed to be
| innocent until he be proved guilty The
| star chamber, as an institution. has been
| dead for two centuries and half. On the
| Identical spot where stood the chamber,
with its gilded stars in which this court
| held its sitting and from which il derived
| the name by which 1t is known to history
| there stands to-day, as IL by the romance
Of retribution, the writing room of the gen
tlemen Of the press in the palace at West
| minister
ut would III beht this age if the insti-
tuition of the press, which sprang TO lib
| erty upon the destruction of that deadIi.
est of its foes, should itself revive the
methods of accusation which made this
sO-called court of the star chamber the
most implacable enemy Of justice"
1T conclusion the committee recon-
mend that the resolution be indefinitely
postponed, saying: 1T seems to your
committee that the time has come when
| the Senate should practically declare by
| It's action that 1t will not be accessory 10
attacks upon Itself or its members from
| irresponsible sources. No investigation OF
any charge affecting the integrity OF the
| Senate or It's members should at any time
be undertaken unless such charges Dc
| definite and specific, and made by some
known and responsible person not en-
gagged professionally In senatorial four
| nalsm."
DIR. Edward o. Otis Of Boston, has iust
been elected president of the American