The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1905-12-08
AS To LIBEL.


MetraIr. el at. To take away the con-
Stitutinnal liberty vi the press and
10 appoint Themselves Is censurS, is
meeting with the general condemna.
tlun it, dc sci yes, both from the rrSS
o. Ine state aud che public generally.
But what would be the result il the
attempt of thus little mutual All
IMITATION society tn muZZ'e the press
should he upheld? 1t would mean
that these hired men of tht people
could conduct the affirs II tn" l,uhIic
as they saw at aud the people their
masters would have no means IT
knowing the faces. II thev can take
away from the press the right OF free
speech and the right to discuss the
acts Of public servant for good
motives and the best interest nf
honest and conservative government,
then we might as we'll vOhack To the
dark ages or tn the conditions that
existed ia Great Britain prim to 1893,
at which time the censorship of :he
mean that If an officer was dis
honest he could cover up his DIS
honesty. as the partizan paner>
wonlt probably he very reluctant tell
a. q pehpl of The facts which might
i"j,re their party and she others
'arr NOT for fear III the vengence of
,hr dishonest politican. who would
have them ia his power. AtrI SD
long as the officials could perpetuate
themselves IN office the truth light
never he known One NAV next ex-
pect to hear them proclaim that
public office is private soap which
the people have M right t0 inquire
into and 70 shows how far hack into
the the middle ages thev are living
TLey had better yet Indicted into
more modern state Of mind. ANY
time a man thinks that because the
public.has hired him tn conduct The
affairs OF some little cou ty office fir
limited time. or during Rnod be-
havior, that his employers have no
right tO inquire into the utnnev IN
which he is running IT.. that man
has Il bad tooth. SO to speak and he.
sooner he gets it drawn the hetter
The law holds that the .'lihertv "f
the press consists in the right t..
publish with IMMUNITY. the tr,,, h
with good motives and with l,-,l-
fable ends, whether with respect t.,
governments or indiviliuals". Vet
these little county officers say that
we shall not crlticise their puttlic
acts under penalty OF being soaked
for ..lese majestic" Our constitut-
ION contemplated that we shu lid
have II" press censorship and that !,
lnewspaper was one Of the things
which even government by iD-
juctiun" could not control. The
\ flr>t amend .nenl to the federal Con-
s'ltution provides among uthc,
things that Congress shall pass ne
law abridging the liberty III the press
Yet These. nLtlc narrow minded hired
men Of the people assume to do this
very thing.
We contend that in case Ia,
! llbei Drought by IA county, state or
government official, the truth fer
justitlable ends, would be com
plete defense; by ''justlflable ends
is meant anything for the public
good or any matter concerning tn.
ACTIONS OF public officials which the
public has a right to know, and
the truth Of such statements Il
complete defense ii made for pub
lie benefit. '''ru SUBJECT the press
ITO the restrictive power as was done
10 England prior to 1893 is to sub
ject all freedom of sentiment t,
4 the prejudice OF Que man.
! Every person has perfect rish
to comment on matters OF publ
concern or the action OF public ser
wants, provided he does so "fairl
aud with honest purpose II tn
liberty of criticism Is TO be abrldge,
at the will Of states attorneys, "
should soon have neither purity q
tas ties nor of morals, for 1t must b
ad mitted that the fear of advers
criticism or rldicuie, tends TO kee
"a certain class within bounds.
II
You will miss il If you miss /