New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-14
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.
Considerations Based on the Ne7c
Pennsylvania Lac

s16 License in the current issue OF 1ie AN@S
pendent" M Smith says:
The enactment of what is known the Grad,
salus Libel law Of Pennsylvania has reawakene9
general interest In the liberty OF the pres -.
IN .re of his measure and the extraordinary
circumstances surrounding it have invested u mai
stiention a brief statement OF these circI!n
s s5jes nr Iof19e vii be timely pertinent
SuGs So Pennsylvania last November During the
preliminary campaign he had teen keeny crluCai 4
TsonaltV and certain conspicuous mental traits
and tastes lent thernselEes 70 !1 Of he clever
csTtoonist His bucoc appearance ms oisIieaei he
hair his phegmatic face his negIgent a{tiTe ,iT ms
eccentricity of wearing boots. al invited 1hc'u'
Hrs inteiiectuai qualities and exhibitions gave
special to the delicious oppoTlullt.. Of
1h@I - He has considerable learning and
marked taste for hstoTlGa s'udy With item he
has guileless simplicity. an , GO E;r
into ludcrous displays that afford an unooulioSu
theme for satire II is enough i,a to senator QUAY
cousin in remote degEee Is gif9g Una liq reeEine
al the time with political corruption had no ii'S
All these Clements made him the butt of jest
and picture. He was portrayed as q PEI r,lris
Ing and painful revelation TO him. He had lived a
tranquil and serene life on the oeae a TO- @ dsy to
criticism and ridicule was an unwonted and mar
md bad Qualities be has no more sense OF humor
clam. The cartoons die hIil no 6ai 10, oS aS
i15sd them of that would have the end of it
But they wounded and pricked and stuck Ike chest
mi h1Irrs He writhed under their sting; they not
only hurt his pride but offended ms eAdss "a ~
?,rooded over them he studied what he concelKea
would be the appropriate remedy. Ihe reSuI W.
that IN ms lfatg a. 49, u - i,srs Of Journalism.
and urged restrictive legislation 49,,
His personal grievance and desire just cniInsu
in with the feelings ard purposes of the politicians
toe had been caricatlred and what H.3s sun I ILL.,
natures their schemes of spoiaton had eee s ea s
nv The Inconsistencies and audacious press. They
had tried before 10 apply a nl1zZe: 4 40
FACTORY degree. But the personal pque Of the Gov
eTnor offered what seemed TO be just the oppor-
unity to accomplish their end: and with the plans
well laid near the clos OF u1s tl r totY
houses in four Gays, without any learlhs any al
ritter disregard Of the. const tutional fesuar re
quirtng three scIal-+'e fe'Ili'-s 'i "
'd IN fbe face Of the most earnest protests the
Governor signed the hill. and filed with IL an tN-
planatory nlessTSe liz ~ 80 e777.nafed from
an executive. In its blending OF honest rtsei resell
Inent Of personal venom. Of miSlelIis ms
of uraccountabIe misstateTnent, of fantasuc res-
eoning and of unconscious buffooneTE, II Is IN
raraIieled amcng official documents. 1t was IN
Tnedately followed by thu greatest YuIpuIs I ~
any man within public memory. The governor Governor
Of Remuneration and ridcule. only in Pennsyl-
wanna all the country MS ACT alo liiS
seasons called down such q storm OF conGeq ma
nas Or, p[0us f i vowed object Of SURPRISING
toon and criticism was atrested IN the most ~
The bill thus enacted is the subject of varied
that it is only codiAgaton Of the ALREADY eHlsI
principle or rule but only put IN more epiyed
who maintain that i INTRODUCES new a Te7o GI
from the ield of its jurisdiction ana looking on
dispassionately. says in very inoeiiseht anu
searching review:
any 8merioan iegisiatGTe 1t bears its face the
aim Of preventing criticism Of State officials
This is undoubtedly its design The object was vas
openly avowed ny Its authors and sponsors I Inc
sought to stife criticism and prevent exposure But
as aT as ea9 Ro f e fI 'f 5rp6 5 The constit9
tionaI safeguard for printing press in deal
thew did not know how to evade it. But framing
he most serious Character and critical examna-
5ion does not justify the claim that il only codlres
tb ll i IiIeI Gro2it7ej II car be shown that
here Was $40 ..neeiisence I'M The ascertainment Of
facts-that is, that thee was any mistake at any
punishable for publishing the essential truth. and
10 deter il altogether II this object could be car
Iled out i can readily he seer how It you'd serve
law It is no exaeGzr4ji5n To -hatactsrize it as
one % the most infa NOUS measures ever enacted
by an AnSrlSsa lgsTl1fe ~ Is 9p6o~ed 10 , [ne
enlightened spirit OF an acN2nCl1G age the Siea'l
the press has been toward reasonable nberaiity
with just acoourta oiiity. Through an our history
measures for the restriction OF free speech and a
rntic and arbitrary government. Tic creat cham
Tions Of human liberty have aged IN regarding
the just liberty ot the press as the foundation and
Give me liberty to know. TO utter and to argue
freely according 70 conscience. above all other
liberties said John Milton. with loftv nspira-
forts of ne, ssr tl"er At PRES restricton
Through the lass ',+if 81 th@ eighteetth century
mon rcleSI ,aroa M ;'5 NTsnkintaSi1 and Cur
ran and 2rskine Here the brilliant defenders, OF
free utterance. In 49,. in one OF his few speeches
for the prosecution Of libel the great Erskne said:
"A free and unlicensed press in the lust and legal
both Of religion and government. which Great Brit
and it is calculated 10 advance mankind to still
higher degrees Of civilization and happiness
Thomas jefferson, famous declaration is well
remembered;
7 would rather live q country with newspa pers
d government but without HewsPapers-
His meaning and logic are s,lain Government
without neFspapers would have no restraint ana no
TyouId At ieasi pssrgre watchfuIneSs Information
ZION @oud be- legaiizeu irIesponsollltN. The other
trdtils OF the vital relation free press free
Institutions have come 10 be accepted as ;9Xonla nc
And with the development OF society free press
nium OF poitical hpeltl Dut = ire t7siitl%I sie
guard of the moral and social weli6eing Of the
The glare Of publicity is great deterrent of evil.
Thousands Of things would 'e done ia the dark
VINO believe that the force of mere authority,
whether IN the church IN the STATE Is declining
The influence OF faith and tradition ami old stand
ards in the restraint Of WronScoinG probably grows
weaker as the wears so nv IN ms cecadence o.
individual belief and submission, in Ibis growth
Of individual freedom, Public opinion becoming
more and more the bulEarh q our structure OF
social morality. and public opinion * created and
the financial ana us social wore mere are HUI
dreds OF acts on the hay BOZ aerlaaa between Jaw