Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-10-05
CHAMPIONS OF
A FREE PRESS
Legislators Who Fought the "MuzzIer"
Are of the Type Wanted In
the Coninu Session.

Although the Press Muzzler," en-
acted by the Philadelphia gangster
In the hope of perpetuating their pow
er. has proved to be impotent, there 4
. general demand that among th
many good things to be done by tn
legislature shall be the wipinl
OF that obnoxious. tyrannical measure
OF the statute books. All of the Dem
ocratic legislators fought against II
In this, as in all other matters affect
ing the welfare of the commonwealth
those members who stood faithful +
the people, having had no black shee,
among them during the last severa
sessions and not many in former term
Of the legislature. The voters, there
fore, find strong reason to trust tn
Democratic candidates, this year, 70
. continuing of the good work.
When the ill-fated Goehring "1ibe
BILL" a sort of supplement to tn
"muzzler," was pending in the last reg
ular session, the Democratic senate
from Berks, Mr. Herbst, said:
"I can see no reason why this
bill should pass. Two years ago a
bill was passed by this body to re-
strain the freedom of the press, or
as the newspapers with one voice
said, to muzzle 1t. This was done
by methods which we who were
here all know made some senators
confess that their conscience Wor-
ried them. Now, this act may not
be so severe; 1t may even be
lamb compared with the wolf of
two years ago, but where is there
any necessity for it? Why burden
our statute books with more laws,
when old acts are ample and suf-
flcient? Why shall newspaper
men and editors engaged in le-
ness, the liberty and freedom of
which Is specifically guaranteed in
our fundamental law, be nagged,
and fretted. and irritated, and
placed at the mercy of self-styled
injured mentally politicians by
statute laws simply because they
refuse to take orders from political
bosses? | have been in the lime
light of the press for twenty years
on account of more or less politi-
cal activity, and | must say that l
have nothing to charge against the
newspapers. My opponents and
was their right, and my friends
and advocates have replied. This
is genuine healthy Americanism
/ have found that man as rule
in the end gets about his deserts
from the newspapers.
mo honest man whose works
and deeds are not dark and shady
need fear the light of public criti-
cism. | do not believe that such a
man does, because he knows that
the people whose good opinion is
at all worth having will judge him
correctly and righteously. Our
newspapers may at times be a
trifle eXtravagant and 1laShy in
statement, and weird and uncanny
in picture: but this is an electrical
age and publishers like other bust
nessmen strive to please their
patrons. We all know that the
bill of two years ago was aimed
generally at number, specially at
one Philadelphia paper, and yet
when | look over the senate | find
more senators reading that very
paper than any other. The fact
is very evident, especially so since
this session of the Legislature has
the people remaining in Pennsyl-
vania is the press. 3
This Is apparent as the July
MONDAY sun to all except such u
suffer from the mental paresis of
bossism and the moral strabismus
of Philadelphia methods. Sup
press, gag, muzzle and destroy its
Freedom by still more annoying
and veXatious statutes and we may
lndeed pray God save the COM
monwealth.'
"Since the daily routine of the
senate must and dare consist of
six-dollar-a-day invocation, a dis
pensing with the reading of the
Journal, a motion when the senate
adjourns to-day 1t be to meet to-
morrow at II o'clock, a number of
roll calls, bills that half the sena-
tors have never read just to hear
how sweet your name sounds, and
/ move the senate do now adjourn,
how the necessity for free pass is
augmented! Due and timely no.
tice that no bill dare be discussed
has been given, and that 1t is
special crime and misdemeanor to
endeavor to amend and reduce the
stuff in a grab bill even though du-
plicity must be used to prevent the
attempt. Light dare not shine in
the senate chamber upon any
measure regarding which you are
in doubt, but the o. K. from the
royal chamber must suffice. In
purblind meekness it is your busi-
ness to follow or beware of the
mailed hand. A senator in PENN
sylvania must understand once for
all that he no longer represents a
constituency Of free and noble men,
descendants of warriors and par
triots, and that he is here to pre-
sent their interests and opinions
in public matters, but that he Is
here to take orders, or at least
quietly drift along.
What hope, therefore, under
such conditions for our people ex-
cept that light which the public
press still gives them by lifting
the lid from the witches cauldron
of political thraldom, jobbery and
corruption in our state. All hail
to the only tribune of Pennsylva-
MAS plain people-the press! Ere
l vote to vex or annoy its freedom
by further statutes may my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth.
Friends of light will not, friends
of darkness may"
When the same "Goehring libel bill
was before the house, Farmer" Cre'
sy's Democratic colleague from Colun
bia county, Representative John {
Harman, had this to say upon an III
successful attempt to force throug
the house a copy Of the senate mea'
ure:
This is the same bill, in identi-
cally the same form, that was de-
cisively beaten in this house this
afternoon. Reverse the record made
here today and every man who re-
verses himself will have the ques-
tion fairly put up to him by his
people, what influence has been
brought to bear on you in two
hours time in relation to this bill?
The merits of this bill have been
fully discussed. Nothing remains
to be said on that score, but there
is another feature of this that |
want the gentlemen who voted
against the bill to keep in mind.
It is this: In 1903 this legislature
passed libel bill that has been
more honored in the breach than
in the observance. l am opposed to
the shameful spectacle of the legis-
lature of Pennsylvania being called
upon year after year to pass bills
for the suppression of newspapers
at the behest of a prominent gentle
man of this commonwealth, with
whom we differ. / am in favor of