The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-19

in all its branches II is as free in this coun-
try it is in Germany or any other.
Regarding the liberty of the press, Pro-
fessor Goss gives the impression that there
is as much OF 1t in Germany as there is IN
the United States, with much less of IL
cense. He implies that what is called lese
majesty is legal fiction and that the En-
perOr claims only the same protection
against press comment as the humblest
citizen. THE laws of lese majesty in the
German empire" he says. ARE one in spirit
with the general laws of libel and SANDER,
and in that country no man. no official, no
newspaper may run amuck TO strike down
with impunity the business. profession, rep
utation, character. the family Of his rival
or his personal enemy" Neither can it be
done in this country with impunity. But 10
say that lese majesty in Germany only ex-
lists under the general libel law is a mis-
take. On the 9th of October. 1900, news
paper correspondent wrote from Berlin:
THE Berlin newspapers of yesterday and
to-day chronicle no fewer than five trials
for lese majesty" One of these was Herr
He wrote an article criticising the En-
peror's speech delivered on the embarkation
of the German troops for China, in which
the Emperor told them to give quarter
and TO make no prisoners. Herr Harden
was tried behind closed doors, found guilty
and sentenced to six months Imprisonment
in fortress Commenting on this case,
another Berlin paper, the Vossische Zeit-
ung. said:
We read in the newspapers to-day that
street porter in Marburg has been SEN
fenced to six months Imprisonment for in
sulting the Empress that in Hamburg
workman has been sentenced to a year
Imprisonment for lese majesty, and that in
Dusseldorf a man who is deaf and dumb
has been sentenced to four months i'm
prisonment for the same offense. The
prosecutions for lese majesty are multiply
ing at an alarming rate. We must en-
phatically repeat that such proceedings APP
pear to to be in the last degree un-
suited TO promote the principles of mon
arehy. The greater the number of political
prosecutions that are instituted, the more
accustomed, under the force of circum-
stances, does the press become TO the prac-
| tice of writing so that the reader may read
! between the lines.
The German constitution expressly pro-
vides for imperial control of the press. In
the enumeration of matters belonging to
imperial supervision the press is distinctly
mentioned. 1t is probably true, as Pro-
| fessor Goss says, that German papers do
not caricature public officials as American
papers do, for the constitution contains a
provision:
That any offense committed against the
| Federal Council, the Diet, member of the
| Federal Council or of the Diet a magis-
! trate or public official of the empire, while
In the execution of his duty, or with refer
/ ence to his official position. by word writ
ing: printing signs or caricatures, shall be
/ judicially investigated, and upon conviction
| punished in the several states of the en-
| pire according to the laws therein existing
| or which shall hereafter exist in the same
! according TO which similar offense against
| its own authorities or officials is to be
| judged.
1t is hardly necessary to say that under
this provision there is no caricaturing of
German officials by German publications,
but they take their revenge against foreign
ers with unrestrained and almost brutal
license.
These facts are pointed out to controvert
the implied conclusions of Professor Goss' s
article that matters and things in general
| are much better ordered in Germany than
in the United States. We can learn some
thing from Germany, and we want all the
people from that country we can get, but
American institutions. political. social and
| educational, are much better adapted for
Americans than those of Germany could
ever by any possibility be made, and, by
the same token, they are far more promo
tive OF liberty and progress.