Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-15


White House, including the executive
Office and the White House grounds
nobody could blame him. But the ex-
ecutiye vengeance goes much further.
goes. as we are sure the president him.
self. when he forgets his irritation and
recurs to his reason, will admit. en-
TREY too far. For he issues what we
can call only a 'ukase' directing the
departments to exclude the indi-
viduals responsible for this series of
misstatements from all facilities for in
formation This is all wrong. in adj
dition TO being perfectly un-American-
Ii is a notification that the freedom of
the press shall be denied or abridged
by the privation of the customary ia
cilities accorded to its representatives
at the national capital. in cases in
which these representatives prove per
sonaIly unacceptable TO the president
| Chicago Inter-Ocean: Because il
published a silly story regarding his
children. the president OF the united
States has been induced to order that
a Boston newspaper shall be excluded
/ from all federal sources of information.
Much as one must sympathiZe with the
presidents personal resentment toward
the newspaper in question, one must
see that the president cannot rightiy
permit his feelings to be so played up
on as 10 make him forget he is presi-
dent of the whole American people
Annoying. irritating, provoking, as
IL all may be. much gossip-and often
malicious gossip-has TO be endured
| hoe al
and none ever will. Every president
has resented il privately. but none has
gone TO the extreme OF officially penaiiz-
ing the American press for repeating
this gossip. Such a policy toward the
American press and through IL toward
the American people is plainly impossi-
BILE. The sooner this is realized gen.
orally. we believe. the better II Will be
for all concerned"
New York World: Property. like
persons. has rights and responsible
ties; a newspaper is property III is
more. As Benjamin Constant, cham
pion of constitutional government IN
France. said nearly a century ago:
The press il the tribune amplified.
Speech is the vehicle OF intelligence.
and intelligence is the mistress OF the
material world Upon the newspaper
the rich depend for their news. but
poor look TO il not only for news. but
for literature not only as their daily
library. but as the champion of their
rights II a newspaper libels any one
whether In private or public life. that
person has "A remedy at law III IL Is
within the power of public oihclai 10
deprive one newspaper OF news as
President Roosevelt has done in ms or
der against the Boston Herald. II Is
within his power to deprive all news
papers of the same news. That would
he an end TO liberty of the press. That
wouId he an end 10 all liberty. for
where the press * not free the people
are shackled.
The New York Herald interviewed
number Of editors throughout the coun-
try. whose opinions follow:
Clark Howell. editor Atlanta Constr
tuition: while I have not seen any Oh
the Objectionable articles. do not IN
dorse any personal criticism made
against the president $ family, which rs
uncaIled for and unjust. AT the same
time this does not excuse the presi-
dent from assuming To himself a right
which not even congress possesses.
that OF interfering with or curtalllnS
the freedom of the press.
John Temple Graves. editor Atlanta
News: While we have had scant in
formation regarding the circumstances
of the case. I may say generally that
every true newspaper man must con-
denim any unworthy reflections on the
president or his family. At the same
time every newspaper man realizes
thai no personal grievances should be
permitted TO enter into the official acts
of the president. The presidents pri-
waite quarrels should not lead him TO
suppress legitimate information or 10
curtaiI the guaranteed freedom of the
press"
John >. Cohen. associate editor At
lanta Journal: No newspaper man
would excuse another for lying: that
is indefensible. At the same time that
cannot excuse the president for arbi-
trarily closing public sources of in
formation. and his action. which is
based upon no legal right whatever.
must necessarily be condemned"
w. :. Copeland. Richmond Times
Dispatch: For the president TO refuse
to give TO the Herald public reports in
which the readers of the paper are so
seriously interested is carrying resent
ment too far. Indeed. We seriously
doubt IL the president has the legal
right To withhold such information
from a public journal. II he may thus
punish a newspaper for personal rea-
sons he may also infiict similar punish
ment for criticising his Official conduct.
and that would be an insolent trespass
upon the right OF a free press"
Alfred b. Williams. editor Richmond |
"Self-respecting news
paper people of the country sympa-
thize with any gentleman who resents |
and slanderous invasion |
of his privacy. IL the president had |