Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-01-30
NEW LIBEL LAW
DIVERS OPINIONS ON ATTEMPT
TO MUZZLE THE PRESS.
An Enactment That Will Cause the Ninth Leeis.
lature to be the Most Unpopular in the
History Of the StAss, and Will be Repealed
by the Next Session.

The Enactment of the new libel law by
the present legislature gives promise of
making this aggregation the most up.
popular law making body that has SO
far met at Olympia-and but few OF
them have left records to be proud of.
AS the law is framed on the lines OF
the Pennypacker law OF Pennsylvania,
we subjo!n a few opinions Of the press
on that law:
"Governor Pennypacker's plan should
receive the commentator and unflinch-
ing support of every rascal in America
The secrecy of darkness is what every
corrupt official and every official medi-
tating corruption Graves, and under the
Pennypacker plan every institution
would be enshrouded in darkness
Scoundrels fear the light OF publicity,
and fear that alone. If you wish to in.
crease crime III all its phases shut off the
light, let the pace holders work in
sile.,ce and secrecy, absolve them from
responsibility to the people, make it a
criminal offense to report or crilicise
their acts. 1t is great scheme for Cor.
ruptionists, and il the people will stand
it it should 60 through. But should the
people stand it?"-Boston Herald.
1.-The safety Of the American plan OF
government depends on the freedom OF
the press, and law such az Governor
Pennypacker proposed could easily be
used to promote the growth OF tyranny
and to shield rascality in public posi-.
tiOns. The press is guaranteed freedom,
but not licensed by the federal constitu.
ton, and the means Of redress for any
misstatement are ample and we'll
known."-Kansas City Star.
70 at..kx fr1
lowing from the Spokane Spokesman
at Public Rights" may be said to con-
tain the consensus of public opinion OH
the subject:
"The public will be quick to see
through the object of the bill which
Senator Baker has introduced at Olym-
pia to throttle tie Independent press.
This gag law measure is not intended for
public protection. The public is not
menaced by an independent press. On
the contrary, it's rights and interests are
safeguarded by it, and the public has
not asked, and will not ask. for the pas.
sage Of any such measure as the Baker
bill.
THAT bill is brought forward in
hope that it will choke off fair and truth
full publication Of the doings Of cerlain
shady politicians. 1t is modelled closely
on the infamous Pennypacker law Of
Pennsylvania, which has beon con.
demned by every lover of free press and
free speech in that and every other state
Of the Union.
"The newspapers of this state are now
strictly amenable to the old common law
of England, which comes down to us
from days of intoerant treatment Of
newspapers, and which, in the judgment
Of many lawmakers and jurists. is unduly
severe. That conviction has been crys-
tallized in many states into more moder-
ate statu es designed to ameliorate some
OF the harsher features OF the common
law. Such modifying statute had been
IN force in this state for several years.
until the present Legislature repealed
and restored the old time severe and
rigid common law.
''But it seems that the common law OF
England, which satisfied even the
tyrants of that country century or
more ago, Is not drastic enough for some
of the intolerant politicians in this state,
and to satisfy their desire for more thor.
ough gagging of the press this monstrous
bill has been brought forward by Senator
Baker. 1t ought to carry the title of
bill to throttle the press and keep the
people of Washington in ignorance Of the
misdeeds of dishonest politicians
"If that bill should become law the
people will suffer more from it than will
the press. But it does not seem probable
that majority of the house and the
senate at Olympia will be so lost to
American principles and the rights OF
free press and free speech as to transfer
to our statute books the iniquitous Penn
svlvania measure, which was notoriously
framed to shield the most corrupt and
brutal political machine in the United
States.