Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-10-17
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
No greater victory has ever beer
achieved in the United states FOR tn,
freedom of speech n the protection
81 the rights If the citizen and th'
ipress than was signaIied IN the deeis.
ion ~ Judge A. b. Anderson, OF the
United states District Court of In,
diana. IN dismlssing the Roosevelt H.
bel suit against the editors of the In,
dlanapolis News. for their exposure ~
some Of the alleged crookedncss IL
the purchase Of the Panama cana.
route.
II the men engaged IN that transac-
ton had been libcled it was proper
and just that the perpetrators OF tho
libel should BE- punished The main
point at issue before the court. how
over. was not the punishment OF Mes
sers smith ana Williams Of tho News
FOR libel. but whether they should be
taken away from their homes and
carried to the District of Columbia for
trial
Tho decision was adverse 20 the
| government. and in dismissing the
case the court used the following re-
markabie language:
4 am Of the opinion. said Judge
Anderson. that the fact that certain
persons were called thieves and
t-.Falf...s d.. .. ..A-.ft... 1ft.G
per So. \ newspaper has a certain
d uty 20 perform. As e former presi-
dcut has said. IT Is the duty of a
newspaper to print the news and 20
tell the truth about it, It is the duty
Of q newspaper to draw differences for
the people.
"Now. there arc many peculiar cir
cumstancrs about the whole Panama
understood as refiecting upon any
body IN or out of office. except such
person or persons ns l may name.
"The revolution in Panama, the cir
cumstances concerning II were unus-
ual AID peculiar. The people We're
Interested in h construction of the
canal II was a matter Of great pub
lic concern; q large portion OF the
people favored the Nicaraguan route;
another portion. those who were in
terested Ia it. officially and personally
just nterested-preferred the PAN
anna route. a committee was APP
pointed 10 investigate tho relative
merits of the two routes They invcs-
tigatod and reported in favor OF the
Nicaragua. shortly afterward they
changed TO Panama Up 10 tho time
OF that change. as ! gather from the
evidence. the lowest onrr which had
the Panama propcrty-thc property
of the Panama Canal company-could
DE procured vas something over S100-
600. 600 Then rather suddenly it be-
came known NAT it could be procured
for $40. ooo. 600.
"Now. there were q number Of peo-
pile who thought there was something
wrong something not Just exactly
right about that transaction. and say
for myself that now / feel Il natural
curiosity TO SNOW what tho real truth
was.
"1heroupou the committee OF the
States senate VAS appointed
so investigat, these mattcrs-ahout
the only way il could Doe investigated
The committee met. as stated In these
articles these men who knew am
lbout it, . think that is the proper
way to speak OF William Nelson Crom-
Noll Wen. these men We're called be-
fore the committee and Mr. CROMWELL
upon having certain questions put To
him, stood upon his privilege as am at
.ofncy ami refused To- onsWc That
Aas ia, state OF the case. as shown
b, DE evidence. when We adjourned
a-t june
AT tins session of court certain
,trts of the records showing the prop
before the senate have been
Introduced hy the government. and
impression made upon m, mind
rom such parts as tho government
aw ft tp iutrudu,c is not mor. fave
t' Mr tromWelrS position than
@ was upon De, former hearing Sol
AZ as the record has been read. NIr
ronwrll stood npon his privilege
hen"t-r questions were asked the
answer Co Nht,h would or might re-
lHct upon him pr bis associates hat
th-r.,rr a. question was asked him
which gave him m opportunity to SAY
HmothinE in thrir behalf Pee ostents-
lousit thanked rho examiner and pre-
coded Go answer To my mind tibet
'Is inst grounds for suspicion ! am
usririnu- about 90 now.
That man has read The history of.
Institutions % little purpose. said
IIdee Anderson. boz concluding his
Iceision. who dr,s mort view with app
'r'hensi'n the success ~ such "a pro-
ceilns a- This Go Ga, end that citizens