Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-21

The New York state Legislature is
noted for the proposed reforms which
1t has considered from time to time.
and the struggles that have been Incl
dent thereto. As j. Fennemorc Cooper
clearly showed. early in this century.
in his novel "Devllstoe," the Empire
state has from an early period EN-
braced within its population two ele-
ments. one was descended from the
original Dutch settlers. and thought 1t
no harm to smoke, drink beer and in
dulge in kindred pleasures. and pos
sessed elastic ideas regarding the re-
strictlons religion ought to throw over
the conduct of the Individual. The
other was of Puritan antecedents. and
had stern conceptions of right, moral
ity and piety.
The first element seems TO have
gravitated largely to the cities, while
the other abounds in the rural districts.
There always has been n conflict be-
tween the two. and 1t promises to re-
suit eventually in making Manhattan
island n separate state in the Union.
The Puritanic element in the state liz
anxious to reform what 1t regards as
depravity on the part of n portion
of the press: and with this end in
view State Senator Ellsworth has in
troduced in the legislature bill whose
general scope and character are
described in the following dispatch
from Albany. dated today:
"senator Ellsworth has introduced
n bill which combines the features of
his bill of the last session, with pro-
visions of wider scope to change the re-
sponsibility of newspaper publishers
and editors. 1t provides that any person
who, as principal or agent, conducts
or engages in the business of editing,
publishing, printing, selling, distribute
ing or circulating any licentious, in
decent, corrupt. depraved or libelous
paper, or a. paper which corrupts, de-
praves. degrades or Injuries the minds
or morals of the public. or of Its
readers, or of the people among whom
It circulates, is guilty Of misde-
meanor and upon conviction of any
such offense shall be punished by n
fine of not more than $1,000, or by i'm
prisonment for not more than one year.
or by both such fine and imprisonment
for the first offense; and upon convic-
ton OF any subsequent offense shall
he ny VI Hbt
less than one year nor more than flve
years, and In addition thereto, the de-
PENDANT and his agents and employees
shall be prohibited from thereafter
publishing. printing, selling or distrib-
uting such paper or any paper of the
same name. If the defendant Is n
domestic corporation Its charter shall
be forfeited; " foreign corporation,
It shall be prohibited from further do
ing business in this state.
st Ia further provided that every
paper published. sold or distributed In
this state shall set forth the name OF
every owner. publisher and editor OF
such paper or the names of the officers
of the corporation II the publication
be by corporation"
No paper which does the things for
hidden in Mr.. Ellsworth's bill. should
be permitted to be printed or circu-
lated in any community. Az n mora
proposition, the hill is sound. But that
It can be made law Is matter OF
the gravest doubt. The very class o.
journals 1t aims to destroy has too
much influence to admit of strong hop,
of Its final passage, and signature by
the governor.