The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-04-15
Liberty of the Press
Threatened by Law Establishing
Censorship of Newspapers.

Meddled Disastrously With
Nearly Every Legitimate In
dustry in the United States
Have Now Begun to Harass
the Newspapers.
The Southern Publisher.
The article published on pagA con
tHins bill recently introduced in he
Missouri legislature regulating news
papers. shows the drift of prOscrip-
tion run to seeh in the minds of all
TOO many would-bA savers of the MI
tinn and its dear people by r-gula-
ton of everything by law. The arti-
Gle deserves the careful perusal and
t he thoughtful consideration of
every publisher The great power
of the press and q fair minded public
is due to be exercised in splf-defrnse
when q drift is seen in q direction
that would make a newspaper and
even n job printer Liable to a mini
mum fine of 500 if a jury should
render a decision that an assertion
printed or an article advertised did
not exactly square with the facts in
the case We need to be saved from
the pernirions influences OF rampant
radice Is and their drastic drifts
Following ia the article in question:
The busy bodies who butt-in on
other peoples business travel u lane
that has no turning. Having med
died disastrousl.y with nearly every
! legitimate industry in the United
States they have now begun tn
hnrass and nag the newspapers Not
content with ca ioling Legislatures
intO passing new libel laws that may
result in destruction of the freedom
of he press, the Federal Government
has dug up all archaic statute under
which it is attempting TO punish two
editors for criticism of the Panama
canal affiir.
The post Office authorities are inter
preting laws in way that il humili.
hting and intrusive to a degree ap-
prnirhing Russia's system of sur
vrillanre.
The vulgar theatre trust, quick to
note the signs of the time, has insti-
tuted what amounts practically to a
press censorship throug ghnut the land.
The newspaper profession has en-
dured the above indignities with an
amazing supinenes-. but now the med.
dlers have determined to regulate the
advertising columns, thus attacking
he very vitals of the business, the
time has come for every publisher tu
| fight. The proof that the advertis
ing columns are under fire is cOtl-
tanned in the extraordinary docu-
mrnt reproduced below. No doubt
many publishers who read this bill
will smile in derision and esteem it a
joke. but Mr.. Foristel. it's fathpr is in
lead carr est, and there is a Foristel
buzzing about the corridors of every
one OF the 46 State capitols.
Read "HOuse Bill No 64S," SEN
tenre by sentence, and conceive OF
you conducting paper under its
provisions. 1t would not be safe for
an editor to print the most common.
place advertisement of a corner gro.
Gerry unless he acted by advice of q
lawyer, an analytical chemist and a
detective. Fresh eggs, Is for Zoe, ,
the grocer pays you to print. Mrs
Pruyn, the boardinghouse keeper
reads the advertisement. buys 10
finds one bad, complains to the
court, you are arrested and tineC
800. This is not n reduciO aC
absurdum. 1t is a plain statement
of what could and would happen il
your State # there were to be- enacted
u measure like the following one.
The bill which was introduced ir
the Missouri Legislature by Repre-
sentative Foristpl, designated az
House Bill No. 54S, is al follows:
COPY OF AN ACT
Regulating advertisements and prohibit
ing and providing penalties for objec
tionable, pernicious, false, fraudulent
or misleading advertisements.
Be it enacted by the General ASSEMBLY
Ofthe State of Missouri as follows:
SECTION l. All persons. firms, corpo
rations and associations are hereby for
hidden to print or otherwise to produce
publish. use, circulate. display or trans
port. or to cause to be printed or other
wise produced. published, used. circu
lated. displayed or transported. any
fraudulent, false or misleading advertise
ment or advertisements or any adver
tisement or advertisements which is oil
are Objectionable or perniciOus as here
matter defined and each violation hereO
shall constitute q misdemes,nor and b.
punishable bv fine of not less than on
hundred dollars ($1OO.OO). the determi
being left to the discretion of the court
provided. that in all cases where the vio
lation is for the sake OF direct profit as b.,
pay for production, publication, trans
p0rtation, or the like, said fine shall al
ways be OF an amount not less thar
three times the amount OF such pay. un
less treble such pay should fall below
the prescribed minimum fine OF one hun
dred dollars (S10O.00) Each days con
tinuance OF the production, publication
use. circulation. display or transporta
ton of an advertisement or advertise
ments such as prohibited by this &C
shall constitute a separate Offense there
under. Within the meaning OF this act
an advertisement shall be defined to b
any rams OF publishing or giving motto
of information OF certain things, an,
shall include oral as well as phy-ica
forms of publication intended to reach ,
plurality of persons. Among the kind
Words to Freeze the Soul.
Your son has consumption. His case
hfp Thnno a nn