The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-04-26
FREEDOM OF
THE PRESS.
Best caarantse We Have Of Civil
Religious and Political
Liberties.

the following sensible ana timely
article on the Freedom of the Press for
the Times Union:
"A free people cannot remain free
unless it guarantees the freedom of
the press and the freedom of religion.
The most important OF these three is
the freedom Of the press. 1t Is the
bulwark of our freedom in America, for
back Of ali our rights which are des-
cribed in the constitution and the laws
are the inherent rights themselves
which we give expression to in our
laws.
In article l, of the amendments to
the constitution of the United States,
the people say Congress shall make
no law, abridging the freedom of speech
or of the press. This provision Of the
federal consultation has been followed
by most of the state constitutions,
which also provide within their spheres,
that the law-making body shall make
no law "abridging the freedom Of
speech or Of the press. This means
that free people has tried to lodge
within its fundamental law a safeguard
against interfering with the utmost
liberty of written and spoken speech.
THE NEWSPAPERS
The biggest guarantee we have of
the civil political and religious llber-
ties that we have inherited is TO be
found in the press. We have paid dear
~ for these liberties as a race, and
they cannot easily be taken away from
US. One might as well strive to stop
the onward sweep of the gull stream as
to stop the march Of civilization. IL
can't be done by any one man. The
newspapers may have grevious faults,
and no set Of men will admit them
quicker than the newspaper men them
selves, but with all their faults they are
a blessing in every community. They
turn searchlight on every nook and
corney Of the town. Nothing can hide
from them. There are no dark places
which the newspaper does not search
out. Sooner or later it brings every
thing to view.
GAGGING THE PRESS.
Until 1886 no man could entertain an
independent opinion on anything with
safety, if ii confiicted with received au-
thority. Church authorities suppressed
independence of thinking in religion.
This spirit of repression has come
down to the present time and flashes
out in some quarters against church
members who may entertain views con-
trary TO some leader of the church. Po-
litical authorities suppressed indepen-
dent thinking in matters affecting the
state The politicians did the thinking
Of the people for them, and a per son
took big risks who dared to hold views
differing from the political leader. We
have had 800 years of strife IN the eff
fort to gag the press, but the press has
won out every time. 1t ought TO win
out. People curse the newspapers, but
what would we do without the news
papers. They cannot be gagged They
will not be gagged The people are
back of them. individuals may chafe
under them, but the intelligence Of
every community is back of the news
paper If, in storm of passion the
newspaper should be temporarily gag
ged, the people would quickly see that
they had lost a friend, and they would
order that the gag be removed. We
must have newspapers and platforms
Of free speech, and we want no gags on
them
THE STAR CHAMBER GAG LAW.
In 1886 the English star chamber put
forth AN effort 10 gag the press. The
regulations Of this tribunal were very
tyrannical. They pressed hard 90 check
the liberty Of printing, There had al
ways been censorship against free
speech and free press. Printing was
la its infancy. Tyrants feared It. All
who wanted 20 run a printing press
were obliged 10 get a license Every
effort was made 20 repress all freedom.
Suspected peasOns were dealt with
harshly Tyranny won a short-llved
victory. A reaction soon came against
everything that savored Of gag law.
and these gag measures Of the star
chamber were swept away.
THE STUART GAG LAW.
The power Of English tyrants was
broken by Cromwell. The early Stuarts
from 1903 TO l64l had used the gag
system Of Henry the VIII. put forward
by the star chamber. The control OF
the press had been complete. No man
dared have an opinion OF his own H9
must let others 90 his thinking for
him. The people had petitions 70 do
the thinking. The press was silent the
people were silent there were gags in
all mouths There were gags on the
press. The Stuart kings did not want
anything Of the people but silence, and
they wanted mighty little OF that. as n
humOrist put IL. Tyranny thrives when
the people and the press are silent.
MILLIONS AREOPAGITIcA.
The long parliament had dubbed the