The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-10-01
Authorities al Washington" to NEEDLE
III Cur Campaign.

Inc Cons tltutlOn or the Unltet
States. declares that Congress shall
make no laws abridging the free
dom Of speech or Of the press sanC
the Constitution Of Mississippi say.
that the freedom Of speech and od
the press shall be held sacred;;"
but in neither Instrument is it con
tenpIated that slanderous and libel
GUS matter shall come under The
expression freedom Of the press
or be exempt from prosecution
Freedom Of the press is a beautiful
sentiment. and a proper declaration
in d Republican form of govern
ment: but freedom of the pres
does not mean liberty or license tc
SANDER by the press, for the courts
have held. and it is so writ ter
down in the law books, that al
words which. from their usual con.
structioh and common acceptation,
are considered as insults. and cal
culated to lead to a breach Of the
peace, shall be actionabIe.
The Federal authorities at Wash.
ington understand these questions
thoroughly, and seeing the intem-
perate expressions IN the Mississip.
pi papers, the free use of offensive
epithets. insulting language,
slanderous expressions. vile and
scurrilous words, have sent instruc-
tions of Postoffice Inspector H. B,
Reynolds, headquarters at jackson,
to inform postmasters within his
jurisdiction that in future they
must examine and exclude from
the mails newspapers publishing
articles containing words or ex-
pressions calculated to lead to a
breach of the peace.
While this is censorship, in a
certain sense and to that extent
offensive. still the conditions justi-
fly the course taken by the postal
department, for never in the his
tory of Mississippi have we had a
political press conducted upon such
a low plane as that of today, when
editors publish the most offensive
and insulting articles about those
with whom they happen to differ
public men, candidates and private
citizens. calling them by all manner
of Objectionable and outrageous
names. a condition that must sooner
or later result in bIoodshed, unless
checked.
We are living in the most intol-
Grant age the writer has ever seen,
when there is less respect for
difference of opinion; when there
is more abuse induIged in by the
press and public speakers; when
public officials are held up to scorn
and ridicule; when edite4s, feel
called upon to denounce those with
whom they may disagree. consider
ing themselves licensed to traduce
and villify through their papers
men they would not dare insult to
their face.
Really, we seem to have reached
the age of slander, vilIification, de-
famation, calumination, maIignan-
cy, when no mans character is
safe, no candidates home sacred,
no officials position a shield from
the expletives of the editor who
may disagree with him,
The Clarion Ledger. which tries
always to be decent paper, and
one that can be read in any home,
has not, it confesses. been alto
gether free of offensive terms the
last few months. since the effort
has been made to humiliate, SLAM
der and traduce the State and
bring it in contempt before the
world. is glad that the government
has come forward and put its ban
upon the loose and reckless journal
ism that has been so much in evil
dence since the adjournment of the
Legislature
For one, this paper proposes to
be within the ruling of the postal
authorities in future, satisfied that
they are acting wisely in excluding
from the mails papers that offend
the public eye. and shock the pub
lie mind, and BY their reckless.
offensive and Incorporate utterance
calculated to bring about a breach
of the peace.
In future. papers disregarding
the instructions of the government,
will be excluded from the mails, as
are papers that print lottery
schemes, fraudulent enterprises,
obscene matter. etc.
The ruling Of the postal depart
ment must have salutary effect
upon the body polite, and will be
welcomed by all who prefer to read
decent. parliamentary language to
bilingsgate, slander and offensive
expression. Clarion Ledger, Sept.
20.
The Federal authorities at
Washington, who are alleged. by
the CIarion-Ledger to have put in
motion q method Of press censor
ship that is perhaps not paralleled
even in Russia, are clearly violat-
ing the spirit and letter Of the
Federal laws as well as the Consti-
tuition Of Mississippi.
Perhaps the Republican Federal
authorities at Washington are
somewhat ii sympathy with Mr..
Percy il his campaign for the u. 5.
gonafo III Il aiIanoN that fho Had.