The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
THE ahTI-cARTooN BILL.

THERE is journalism and journalism. Let it be
admitted that the control OF publicity by news
paper can be abused, and is often abused But
when perssently abused carries its remedy in
the absolute loss OF reliability and sacrifice OF public
confidence
Jefferson was much subjected to personal
abuse by the press OF his day. but when solicited in
favor OF measures to limit the freedom OF the press
iii order that might be shorn OF the power to abuse
that freedom, he responded that as between govern
ment without freedom OF the press, and freedom OF
the press without government he preferred the latter
The House at Sacramento has passed bill afixng
misdemeanor penalty to the publication OF cartoons
in a newspaper. 1t has been urged 10 passage by
certain members whose experiences in public life have
included cartoon attacks on them that were without
the element OF humor and, as they conceive, were
merely malicious and malignant These members
seem to be unaware that far these cartoons were
merely malicious they were without influence upon the
public mind. a cartoon that is extravaganty malg-
nant like the coffin handbil' circulated against An
drew Jackson that does not graphically represent
truth is really Ineffective and upright man has
ever been permanently harmed by it. The injury has
always been reactive its nature and has fallen upon
the paper itself.
When Samuel J. Tilden entered upon the prosecu-
ton OF Tweed and Tammany in the Courthouse
frauds by which $40 100000 had been stolen from the
taxpayers, his most powerful coadjutor was Thomas
Mast the father OF American cartooning. His pic
lures OF Tweed had in them the element OF humor,
together with savage sense OF justice, and did
tC break the power of Tweed public opinion than
anything else. The Tammany Judges, even, iinched
in protecting their patron in the presence OF Nasts
ayenging pencil.
The lampoon long preceded the cartoon. 1t was
-, la TI,oE, 81
William Cobbet was also the master of lampoon-
ing but his art was used in the mcrciless fayng OF
those who deserved TO be fayed and it did not en-
barrass his advancement respectable literary repu
taton, even when his talent as lampooner appeared
in his History OF the English Reformation"
Buffers Hudibras is nothing more than lam
poon in doggerel and to Hogarths illustrations pub
lished in it may lie precisely the same objections
which members of the Legislature make to the news
paper cartoon That the caricatures OF Gilbert issued
in London in Sheets before the processes for printing
pictures in newspapers invented were useful in
their day in exposing the foles and vices of the Eng
lish court and the corruptons of politicians was a
fact of current acknowledgment, and after century
has gone by they now accepted valuable part
OF the history OF the time in which they were issued
There is no doubt that his whimsical and malicious
cartoon OF Burke drawing dagger and fnging it
l4OO4 4AONSS VI
climax of speech annoyed that statesman but it did
not afront him half as much as the exclamation OF
fellow member, "Yes there's the knife. but where S
the fork" The reputation OF Burke, however sur
vved both.
That the reading public dscrminates in its accept
ance of cartoons, and, while discriminating desires
and does not repudiae their use, proved by their
popularity, which has required the founding OF art
schools of newspaper illustration
This general fact may be affirmed of the practice
that upright and strong whose injury would
be harmful to society and the State by abridgng his
usefulness, ever hurt by cartoon, while many
rascal whose exile from public life is distinct pub
l;c benefit has been to cover by them.
The California Legislature cannot afford to pass
law that would have taken from the pencils OF Ho-
garth Leech and Mast their power and usefulness 1t
cannot in justice to itself affirm that the people are
without judgment and sense. 1t cannot, in view of
its own reputation afford to say that its members are
so vulnerable weak that they can be destroyed
by picture
Therefore, it will rise above the opportunities OF
few whose thin skins have been punctured by pen
Gil point, and will ascribe to the people their Just
merit of the power to sift evidence whether in words
or pictures, and reach lust conclusion