The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-31

!, we contend. The City Democratic Com
| mite does not desire To Withhold, even
from the general public anything which
i Is purely u matter Of news, or which IL
ifhas any right to know. 10 our Demo-
l cratic constituents we are alone respot-
siblc, and to them the fullest information
I OF our affnirs@is always accorded and
i from them nothing Is or will be with
i held. 4i7 B, III
AS a Matter Of Right.
i The bylaws of the OLE committee in
4 regard to meetings reads MS follows: @
1 mo one save members OF the COM
i mittce and Democratic newspaper re-
4 porters shall attend amy meeting Of the
i committee, except that other citizens
may be admitted BY a lnaiority Yotc OF
4 the members present.
4 Undcr this reading any reporter Of a
1 Democratic newspaper can attend Its
meetings as a matter of rgh| AS far
Las attendance goes, he has every right
1 that any member Of this committee has,
and, no matter what may he the desire
! or necessity for his absence, he can In
! sist upon his right and you have no
i power under your bylaws to exclude
| HIN. Your Committee on Rules, reallz-
| lug this fact. has eliminated the words
! which confer this right Of attendance
upon reporters and have left to those
| Individuals the ssrae5 opportunity of att
tendance which Is accorded other citi-1
zcns--by a majority vote OF the commit
| tca-n matter of courtesy and privilege
| only, not one of right. III j
AS Well Invite Public.
In this connection attention is called
to the provisions OF our bylaws for
years past In referencesto the duties aof
heSsergeants- at -arlns (section 6 Of afil-
| Gle 81: lie shall keep out all iRtrudcrs.
OF persons not entitled to be at meet
| ings, and see that all doors and entrances
| are property closed during the session Of
1.-the fcommlttec. May we ask what pos
sibc reason can there he for this prov-
sion If MI of our proceedings are TO be
published in the public prints?
If publicity Is desirable, 1t were bet
ter that our meetings should be freely
open to5the general publIc,a that thereby
they may themselves learn of our. actions
from observation and hearing rather than
have to depend upon reports containing
n modicum of truth, on which is builded
a pyramid OF conjecture and Imagination.
colored according to the partisan bias
oi&tlle individual writing same. and pan
Sdering Ia tile ncrniclous taste for sensa-5
tionalism' which is being daily fostered
i'll the minds OF the reading public. Were
facts only published, this committee would
have very little reason to object to the
presence OF the reporter.
May Not Be Democratic.
Again, our old bylaws distinctly specify
that the&reporters shall be those OF DEM
ocratlc.newspapers Can 1t be truthfullvs
said that all the daily papers of this
city nre Democratic?4It Is certainly the
bonst&of some of them that they are IN
dependent. Certainly newspapers which
valnt tlieli, freedom a from party ties,
welcome the formation OF q strong OPP
position party, advocate tthc abolition or
the primary, rebel at the party pledge
minute dishonest and fraudulent prac-
tees ana unfair methods to the party
managers and encourage Independents 10
oppose regular nominees Of he}purty,Ed do
not exhibit very Jealous regard for
the interests or integrity of the party We
represent. ny,
III Is very doubtful whether, by a@strict
application or our bylaws, and applying
tho fest Of well-recognlzed standards q
4 Democracy some OF our papers could bo |
represented at our meetings
The tendency upon the part OF some !
q or the representatives or the press By |
sensational articles, to create and foster |
factional fights In the committee, ana
#endeavorlng to Influence tho committee
TO carry into effect tho Individual views
OF the particular reporter, mas l'ud :" |
harmful effect
Z Tho members Of this committee are, By
reason OF their position, far better able
to know ana to judge OF what IS FOR the
best interests Of its Democratic con-
stituents than space-flllng reporter
h,n no., 81 nan,
ell ana has tho daily press for his mouth
piece prcsumcs to advise its members
Ms TO their duty. Fearful of criticism.
and mstaklng the sounding brass for
tho voice OF the people, some OF us may
llnconscously be prevented from bringing
7 to questions OF moment, free ana ul'-
trammelcd consideration of their merits,
Should Be Carefully Used,
We recognize the power Of the press
in moulding public sentiment, ana be-
cause Of the very fact TINT II possesses
this power, 1t should be careful of lis
exercise and not allow Y 10 be used ia
tho dctrimcnt OF any individual or or
ganization whose conduct liz within the
law and not h,,rtful 10 others, Certainly
1t should not be used to3vent personal
annostics
Sucl, other alterations as llnve been
made by your COMMITTEE cover points OF
minor detail, aud The reasons therefor
viii readily suggest themselves,
Your Committee on Rnlcs submits the
draft Of bylaws MS it's re-
port, and in view Of the facts and arg'l-
ments set forth above, unanimously rec
ommend It's adoption,
Respectfully submitted, ra ID
If, NJ. BOYKlN. Chairman,
BARNEY BOWMAN,
CHARLES g. BROOKS.
w, a. DUKE,
A. r. GRIFFITIT. II
CLIFTON NJ MILLER,
n. SHELTON TIl.L.ER,
Committee. |