The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-05
HOUSTON. SATURDAY, AUGUST 8.
u TEN PAGES TODAY.
SURPRISING THE FREEDOM OF
THE PRESS.

General Ludlow. the martinez, who is
military governor OF Havana. had an editor
arrested and his paper, the Reconcentrado,
suppressed for some criticisms on the
American government of Cuba and of the
officials and incidentaIly--for some rabid
Cuban independence talk
The full facts are not yet known, but
are reported as substantially rs above.
In commenting on this action, General
Carlos Garcia, who is now In Washington,
appears to have. Cuban as he Is far
better appreciation OF the rights and free
dom of the press than Ludlow. Ludlow,
1t must be remembered, is the man who
stopped the old feature OF peltlng the pub
lie with little -four bags during the last
Mardi Gras in Havana, because while he
was out driving some irreverent youth or
maiden threw one of these little flour
sacks at his serene highness, the American
governor of Havana, and covered his re-
splendent uniform with flour General Fita
and enjoyed the incident.
But as to Garcia's interview on the sup
preston of Ell Reconcentrado dispatch
to the New York Times from Washington
quotes him as saying:
1t was the Spanish custom TO arrest edi-
tor and suppress their papers TOR daring to
erlticise Spanish methods aud Il would seem
from General Ludlow's action that he is pur-
suing the Spanish policy which has been
justly denounced In the United States. Be-
sides this act on the part OF the military
authorities will be construed by many Gu
bans to mean that the civil authorities are
mere ngureheads aud will no doubt prejudice
bad feeling. The civil laws in Cuba are ample
TO punish people who commit libel admit
l DO not know all tho facts. but | do know
that to be consistent General Ludlow will
have to suppress other Cuban papers which
have criticised General Brooke's aupo mt Is
what would the people OF the United States
say II tie authorities were 10 suppress a
paper Tor abusing. justly or unjustly. the
administration There can lie no independ-
enco or personal liberty without free speech
and free press
In the first place the Cubans are sup
posed to be free and the American troops
kept in the island simply to restore good
order. If Cuba belongs to lis Ludlow
had no right TO suppress newspaper,
and II the island does not belong to us,
and he and other American soldiers are
there TO see only that order and business
and the administration OF civil law are
resumed, he still had no right to attempt
to throttle the native press.
one OF the ugliest developments of this
war has been the high handed manner I'm
which the press at home and abroad has
been treated by the military It may be
possible that Ludlow had some good ex-
cuse for suppressing paper, but 1t has
not yet appeared, nor would that isolated
case excuse the Spanish methods which
our new taste of imperialism has caused
the administration and army to adopt.
free press is the main reliance of free
people. To commence throttling the press
abroad Is to cause distrust and arouse n
feeling Of outrage and cry OF tyranny.
Let the new subjects" talk--it is a safety
valve.
We can not be too hard on Ludlow. how
ever. for he is only one OF many narrow
Americans. Some American legislatures
are filled with men who imagine that the
press has no rights that legislators or
courts should recognize. and who. IL they
had their way. would gag every newspaper
In the land, Such men, raised under
American constitutions and taught them at
school yet have no conception OF their
spirit or even of their letter. Texas has
her full quota.