The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-12-29
THE RIGHTS OF THE PRESS.

The important relationship between
the government and the people held
by the press of the land is not realized
to that extent in Vermont that it
should be. The press is, indeed, the
fourth estate" it holds more than
official mediumship between the gov
ernors and the governed, without its
cooperation it would be impossible to
administer Republican government
as a government of the people is adj
ministered today. 1t is the servant
of the people and, as their servant,
partakes of all the rights incidental
to its office. Among them is the
right to tell the people every day
what their public officials are saying
and doing in their name and behalf.
When Vermonters appreciate this fact
more, when public officials, legisla
lures, and all concerned take the
press OF the State into a respectful
consideration and recognize its just
demands upon them, we shall have
cleaner politics and better govern
ment st. A lbans Messenger.
The Journal believes that the pow
er Of the press is constantly inoreas-
ing in Vermont. The improved IA
eilities fof getting news that have
come with the telegraph and tele-
phone, and the introduction of meth
DDS and machinery that have made it
possible for the press, especially the
daily press, to get the news quickly
and give it to the public promptly and
accurately, have resulted in depend
ence more and more upon the newspa-
pers as a means for dissemination of
information and as the proper agency
through which to get the same. 1t
matters not whether it be concerning
notice of the meeting of some So
siety, or the opinion of the attorney
general as to the Governors right to
reprieve Mary Rogers, it is to the
newspapers that the public looks for
information.
The Legislature gave official recog-
milton long years ago to the usefulness
of the press in connection with the
making of laws, when the two Houses
adopted rules by which newspaper
reporters were allowed ON the floor OF
the Senate and House. Later, in
1870, or about that time, the greater
services being given by the daily
newspapers and the value of those
services to the State at large was
further recognized by the creation of
the Office of official reporter. This
was done to aid the newspapers in
securing accurate information of the
work Of the Legislature and to make
available to them all of such news
that their respective readers would be
interested in. The newspapers make
known what is done by the Legisla-
ture and the knowledge thus obtained
is often of great value to the public.
The publicity of legislative action
and the knowledge by the Legislators
that it will be made public is great
safeguard against unwise or i'm
proper legislation, and power in
favor of good legislation
AS in legislative affairs, SO is it in
others. The press is at the service of
the public 1t gives the news that is
wanted and needed The editorials
Of every properly managed paper are
entirely aside from it's news. What
ever the stand paper takes editorial
ly on any question, it prints the news
relative to that subject just as it is
News is news and not comment. The
editor may attempt to influence public
opinion by his pen but not by sup
pressing news or printing false news.
Every public official should follow the
example of the Legislature and be
willing to give out all information
that the public wants, and that it
would not be improper to give out.