The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-02-15
RIGHTS OF REPORTERS.

Every now and again a case is
held in court with closed DOORS
Exactly upon what principal this
action is based it is difficult 10 find
out. A case of exactly similar
character, involving matters lust as
salacious and instantaneous 70
the public morals, will be heard
with open doors and the reporters
have every opportunity of taking
down all the evidence, which, to the
credit of the Press, they do not.
However, The Stars object is
not to speak of any particular case,
but to get at an abstract principle.
Have or have not the reporters a
right to be present at all trials? We
grant the right of clearing the court
of those who assemble there ont
or morbid curiosity and pruriency
of mind, but reporters represent the
general public and go there as a
matter of duty. Without them pres
ent it is impossible for the public
to Judge upon what grounds tie de-
cree of the court is based. Such
grounds can be stated free OF any
thing that will satisfy those who de-
light in prurient details. The Star
skirts are clear in this matter, as
are those of all the papers in Homo
lulu. The same may be said of the
majority of the papers in the United
States, with a few exceptions. But
closing court doors does not affect
them, they get up story somehow,
generally worse than it really it.
The Press has gradually fought
its way to recognition in every di-
rection. In 1771 it won its first
great fight, when six Of the printers
OF London refused to obey procla-
nation of the House of Commons
forbidding the publication of de-
bates. They were summoned to the
bar of the House and one refused to
obey, whereupon he was arrested
by a messenger of the House. The
London magistrates, however, set
aside the proclamation as illegal, re-
leased the prisoner and clapped the
messenger in jail for illegal arrest.
The House then sent the Lord
Mayor to the Tower, but popular
feeling ran SO high that the House
released the Lord Mayor and
dropped further proceedings. From
that day the power of the Press be-
gan to rise; but it had many fight
to reach its present position.
In these Islands the Press has
had its own struggle and bulwark
after bulwark of secrecy has gone
down before it, till now reporters
are present at all the meetings of
Boards which formerly were held
with closed doors, the Board of Ed
ucation being the very last to give
way-a very curious commentary
on the Board.
The Star would be pleased to
have the arguments of legal lumin-
aries upon the subject. 1t may as
well state its opinions upon judic-
aries and legal bars in general.
They have tendency to usurp
rights which have been taken away
from other great functionaries and
to invest themselves with sort of
almost royal authority. To this end
the statute books OF every nation
are dotted with laws giving more
and more power to the judiciary,
and members OF the bar have fol-
lowed suit by adopting a manner
in court which would not be toler-
ated anywhere else. A lawyer in
court can browbeat a witness in
most outrageous manner, Now,
the public has right to know such
things, and The Star maintains that
it only can know by having its rep
resentatives, in the person of the re-
porters, present at every trial, civil