The record-union., 1899-02-25
AFTER THE PAPERS.
Interior Papers Protest Against
Punishment for Others Sins.

Fresno Democrat: The average leg
1slator is only human and is actuated
by the same feelings that move his
brother man. The manner in which
the members of the Legislature have
been held up to public contempt and
r1dicule daily in questionable carica-
lures in the big San Francisco news
papers has naturally aroused a spirit
of resentment. Not alone in these
pictorials have they been made the
subjects of contumely, but editorially'
and otherwise they have been described
as everything vile and untrustworthy.
1t is no wonder, then, that the legls-
lators have been fighting back and
have under consideration measures to
harass the life and vocation of the
newspaper publisher and writer, at
fecting, perhaps, practically not so
much those in the big centers of pop
ulation as those in the smaller towns,
for the restrictive measures will fall
more heavily on the latter. In the
molding of public opinion the country
paper has as much influence as the big
journals, Which are too often actuated
by personal motives or other consider
atoms which it's readers only too well
recognize, and therefore accept their
dictum with due allowance for these
considerations.
HITTING THE PAPERS HARD.
Suffer Farmer: By the numerous
bills introduced hitting the newspapers
such hard raps, it would appear that
the members of the Legislature had
determined to do up the whole fra
ternity OF newspaper men on account
of the rough manner in which some
Of the lawmakers We're handled by
some of the metropolitan journals. Sew
eral of the bills are SO radical that
there would be little for the newspa-
pers to chronicle outside of mere pass
ing events, criticism being barred. We
hardly think these radical measures
will pass, or if any of them do pass
they will not receive the signature Of
the Governor. The present law of libel
is fair one and can be invoked by
any member Of the Legislature if he
thinks he has been injured. Newspa
per men have some rights as well as
other people.
LET EN- LIVE
Woodland Democrat: Members of the
Legislature had better quit monkeying
with laws the purpose of which seems
to be to make it impossible for a clean
and honest country newspaper to live.
1t is a good rule for sub-caliber states
men to let we'll enough alone.
THE ANTAGONISTIC BILLS.
The Pajaronian: The California Press
Association-the membership of which
is almost entirely made up of editors
and publishers of the country press
has representatives at Sacramento
working against the bills introduced
by Works, Morehouse and others, rela-
tive to the prohibition of cartoons and
the publication of articles of censure
or criticism with the names of authors
attached. These measures aim at the
| liberty of the press. but it is not sur
prising that such measures are pro-
posed for enactment when one views
the rapid growth of the metropolitan
sensational dailies. The big dailies,
who have never a thought of respect
for the country press except When
their needs can be aided by the influ-
ence of the country press, are to blame
for such legislation; and they should
work their way out of the position
they are in as best they can. The
country press is being used to rake
out the chestnuts for the big fellows.
and after they have won the fights
they VIII receive the same Olu uSIiSif~
treatment from the big dailies.
THE LIBEL BOND.
Sebastopol Times: Now comes SEN
ator Dickinson He wants to
have the Act of 1872, relating to libel
suits, repealed. This Act provides that
before commencing suit for libel the
plaintiff must file a bond in the sum
of $500 with two sureties, as a guar
antee of costs in the event of it being
proven that suit was instituted without
provocation. Dickinson would like to
have this law wiped off the face of the
statutes, but it is to be hoped that
Providence will decree otherwise, as
the repeal of the Act would place news
papers at the mercy of all irresponsi-
BILE parties who may imagine that they
have been injured by the publication
of news that does not exactly harmon
ize with their sensibilities.
The utilization of grain elevator
waste for sheep and cattle food has
given rise to a new industry in the