The sun., 1901-04-04
LICENSE is NOT LIBERTY.

Upon his reelection 10 and his as
sumption Of the duties Of the Office OF
President Of Common Council OF Phila-
delphia, President Mccurdy expressed
some pertinent truths about press criti-
cisms Of public men that are worthy of
note, particularly in this State where
freedom Of the press has become license,
and criticism has degcnerated into Sian
der. President McCurdy said:
Il believe in the freedom Of the press.
believe that the press should have the
right to comment upon public men and
public measures, but remember, gentle
men, liberty is not license. When the
press, with its private spites and spleens.
with its ISLANDERS and abuse, holds public
| men up to unjust criticism, say this is
| Unfair.
"1'hey would have yon believe that
| there are no honest men in public lifs.
| There are mOir honest men in public life
/ today than there are connected wirn
| yellow journalism. They would have yoH
believe that public men today are grow
ing worse: that they are not as good as
they used to be. I do not believe any
such thing. / believe that the plan 81
human improvement is always growing
better with the march Of civilization.
Il tell you. gentlemen, that If the pres,
today would uphold their public mel
and speak well Of them when the!
| properly perform their public duties, in
stead Of arraying the masses agains
the classes, we would have better publ
servants. What we need today, as W !.
as conscientious public men, is con
scientious journalism, because back o
conscience lies confidence, and when 10
destroy confidence you have anarchy"
Local interest in this speech will ccnte
ia its accurate description OF the loc;
situation. The substitution Of license 4
liberty in the discussion of political que
tions, and in the criticism Of public me-
has been the great hindering cause, pr
venting governmental reform in both Il
: city and state. In its newspaper EXPIRE
sion Delaware politics has been matt
:. ~ personal spitcs and spleens; critics
has been simply SANDER and abuse. Wi
: nothing to say in defense Of their ov
p0ntical work the Democratic party,
4 leaders and organs, have attempted
tiscrcdit its opponents by reiterat
slanderOus and abusive charges of viii
they have no proof and on which tn
have been hcaten in every attempt
4ubstantiate them, either in public d
cussion or legal trial. In this work
Democrats have been joined by the bt
= er Republicans, and in the alliance
tween them they have WED with ca
other III the invention and publication
lies that are both slan1erons and abusi
until political discussion from their sta
point has degenerated into consciencel
assaults, hot only upon public men,
UPON the very foundations 0f popt
-, government, The advocates Of this
cy--on both sides Of the alliance--h
~ been discredited with the people by
corrupt misuse of power, Or by tactic
pickering which turned all their eff
for State betterments into defeats.
81; this process opponents have made tn
Is, selves allies in maintaining the "
governmental system known in >
H.. politics-have made themselves allie
NM its practical defense, and in the al
H. of those who have consistently and
nm scientiously attempted political ref
., In this work conscienceless iourna
has destroyed confidence, and in
4, destruction Of confidence, as Presi
..., McCurdy said, came anarchy.
: Democratic usurpation Of power in
.;ao,, was anarchy, and that condition rem
.,;aa in failure OF the State Asscmbl
~, elect Senators. Democrats and !
nar;. Republicans of Delaware have ins
this conscicnccless journalism and made
,,,n archical conditions in Delaware.
Dur -----
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