The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-28
Weather Forecast.
For Northern California-Fair Saturday
continued warm light variable winds.
THE CARIcATURE BILL


prohibit the printing of caricatures or
portraits Of persons without their con-
sent A similar bill was introduced last
year In the New York Legislature, and
the story goes that it cost the flash
and yellow journals $165,O00 to defeat
1t, which was done, but the indications
are in that State that it will not re-
main defeated; that it is merely
scotched.
Restraint of the press will always be
viewed with jealousy, since freedom of
the press is one of the safeguards Of
liberty. The decent press needs no at
tention from the law, and it fears no
legislative enactments AS it consid-
ers its Office too sacred to be prosti-
tuted to scurrility or the level of the
vulgar and indecent cartoon, it has no
Tear of heavy hands of the law. But
license is very different thing from
liberty, and the Objectionable from the
1usti1able cartoon. Under. the cover Of
freedom of the press an attribute of
liberty and self government has been
grossly abused. Any attempt to check
or suppress this abuse will be met with
howl Of rage from offenders. No
Others will be heard from, probably, in
opposition to such restriction as is
deemed wise.
The libel law as it stands is suffi-
cdent, it would seem, to correct abuse
/ fAarlaEc1xy Or fA1 4 -
that any malicious printing, sign or
picture, tending to b1acken the memory
OF one who is dead, or to impeach the
honesty, integrity, virtue or reputation,
or to publish the natural or alleged
defects Of one who is alive, and thereby
expose him to public hatred, ridicule
or contempt is nbelous. The coarse,
vulgar cartoon of the newspaper stripe
assuredly comes within the bounds of
that law
We have not much idea that the bill
VIII pass, or If it does pass that it will
be enforced. The licentious, uncon-
scionabae and vulgar press will continue
to brow-beat, misrepresent, vulgarly
pictures Of those against = whom it
chooses to level its shafts, until public
opraion Is so thoroughly outraged that
it will manifest its power and put an
end to the nuisance But that will
not result for a good while to come
The public stomach is not yet enough
revolted. but the Works bill indicates
that it is beginning to turn.
The author of the bill may think that
he is original in his effort to suppress
common nuisance, but in fact he is
only one OF the evidences of growing
sentiment that will eliminate in revolt.
and when that comes it will be an I'M
happy hour for scurrilous journalism
The reform will then go beyond the
provisions of the Works bill. 1t will
reach out and throttle the disgraceful
method employed In making headlines
represent untruth, and alleged fact not
borne out by the text of the matter.
The freedom of the press will not be
restricted. 1t will, however, be linn
rted to the expression of truth, and to
criticism that does not descend to in
vention and Misrepresentation. 1t Will
not be censorship of the press any
more than compulsion to keep an or
Derby house and refrain from keeping a
disorderly one. is prohibition. Regula-
ton need not, and never will. trench
upon the. perfect liberty of the press,
for that is not liberty which is above
and contemptuous Of the necessary or
derby regulations Of society.
Liberty without law is anarchy, and
to that strait we must come before the
people will throttle the indecent press
and demand that demoralizing agencies
shall not be placed in the paths of their
children under the cloak OF freedom.
Public sentiment will be reformed, Also
in the interests Of art. That which is
now presented as the work of art in
the vulgar and indecent caricaturing
press Is an insult to art. As well might
the birch bark carving OF the savages
be classified with artistic productions.
The objections advanced against the
Hull army bill appear to hinge more