Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-02-27
rmr ANrI.cAnrooN BILL.

The California nnttsrNftonn hlll ~ M
,ruduced by Mr. Works u Fan Diego
provides that II shall be unlawful tn
publish IN any Newspaper. handful
poster. book or serial publication. of
supplement thereto. the portrait or carl
cature ~ any living person. n resident
~ California. without the written con
sent of such rcrron. except a person
convicted ~ q crime. The infmcllon u
this law ia made miadcmcanor pun
ishable by Inc or imprisonment Any
one Interested In such publications
either owner. manager. publisher "r
onFruver ray BE- held responsible.
some California papers condemn the
measure ~ an infringement on the
liberty u the press and consider % n
violation u the State constitution
which provides.
livery citizen may freely speak.
write and publish his sentiments On gu
subjects being responsible Tor the
abuse ~ that right. and no Law shall
be passed to restrain or abrldHc th" lib'
erty of the press
our contemporary the Herald treats
our reference a. the matter In a humor-
Gus vein and tries 10 make q joke " Il.
We are reminded Of It's cudcavor 10
make fun OF another measure opposed
BY the "NowH," but In day Ut two
found II necessary 10 take grave cScep
tlons 10 Il and treat II ~ seriously as
We ana. There l. a funny side 10 The
cartoon business ~ course. but It o.
when some other fellow II held up 10
public ridlcuie.
The sacramento Record Union ~
February q has the following Comment
on the bill.
Tho legislature was justified In ~
action. II had come tp pass that ~
man felt himself, however pure NJ
motive or clean his ambition, free from
the menace. the COW. the threat and
intimidation Of the hirrling cnrtuuulHt,
thlnly yelling his dictated vunnm be-
hind the prctcnse 81 humnr. No home
has been sacred before the inuuiritiNv-
ness Of yellow journalism and ~ cor.
ruptlng methods. The plastic mind ~
childhood has been furnished and the
youthful conscience made cniluuH IA
what else should shock u by reason NJ
the Indecent Illustrated journalism ~
the day. Maidenhood has ceased N
have bushes In evidence ~ mndcsty
aud manlln.ra has suffered humiliation
a. spare loved ones, which else had ter
ribiy avenged tho crimes ~ the anilrlst
go-cniicd. IN modern sensational jour
nnlinp. Against this expanding bale
ful influence this journal has for ycnf
lifted It's voice. II has prophesled lnni
that the end must GOMEZ that society
would not forever stomach the offcns.
We think that the dawn ~ the begin
ming of that end IN at hand"
The spirit OF the laws on libel il that
the liberty of the press does not extend
10 the right 10 purposcly mirrepresenl
individuals iniufiously. That should
operate Just ~ much against q libcllou'
picture ~ against libellous language
tho purpose N many of the villalnou'
carlcaturcs common IN some news
papers h TO hurt. annoy, brrak down
ana why. ~ n not simply 10 provoke
laughter. II il 10 do harm.
The California law. however. can
likely. be evndcd The publisher need
not admit that his illustrations are In
tended as portraits nr ~ "carica
,urca" ~ any living perron. ANA n h'
dcnien II. how can the charge be- proved
even II thcrc IL some faint resemblance,
90 the supposed object NJ riiloule'
European countries with the strictes
press laws have never succeeded In en-
tirely Enppr"srlng the personal car
toon.
Public opinion Il the great force aftc
ALL That eau regulate this matter ~
feciually. While there n a demand fo
the sensational, the yltupcratlye. m,
scandalous, whether by word or car
toon, II viii be- literally supplied. whci
such vile productions ~ nuw disgrace
the profession ~ journalism are no
purchased, they win bc discontinue,
or become murr respectable. ~ q
doubtful II this ar any moral reform
can BE- Effected simply by legislation.