The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-02

ment"---we quote from Mr.. Roose-.
velts special message to Congress jn'
the World case. H fe ID
It may be that the jouvnalistIc'
critics of these three eminent hstat6se
men Should be prosecuted fori1ibcbi
by the governmental authorities" ~
It may he that some of the special
charges as to the manner i'm which
the special taiff schedules have been,
manipulated and in which Govern
ment lands have been patented are
attempts to convict the Government
"in the ekes of the civilized world
of wrongdoing of the basest and
foulest kind"
Such being the case. IL would be
the duty of the Attorney-Generaf, If
Mr.. Roosevelt's theory of the law is
sound, to demand indictments when
ever IL could be shown that n news
paper, a weekly periodical or a mag
azine making such attacks had cir
culated upon any of the 2,S09 Gov
ernment reservations.
In short 1t would become the duty
of the President himself to determine
what criticism of his administration
or of his party should be permitted,
and to employ all the tremendous
power of his Office to prosecute al
legged political libels i'm as many
distinct and fIIdcpendent jurisdic-
tions" as possible. In matter of
this kind he need not be guided too
closely by the opinion of hs legal
advisors II is enough If he himself
deems an article libellous; for Grand
Jurors take the law from the Dis
trict-Attorney, who takes his law
from the Attorney-General, who is
subject to the direction of the Presi-'
dent. Even If juries refuse to convict,
the President in most instances
could impose the eXtra-legal penal
ties of bankruptcy and ruin upon
the defendant by compelling the
newspaper to pit it's scanty resources
against the mighty resources of the
United States Government.
True, there would be little political
freedom left In this country. The
United States would be thoroughly
and completely Mexicanized so far
as political criticism of the Federal
Government Is concerned. But If
this Is the law II Is the law, and
whether II is the law or hot, II Is
the contention of the United states
authorities in the case against the
World. If this theory holds good as
to the World. IL holds good as too
all other newspapers published in the
United states.
II is for this reason mat the
World repeatedly urged Mr.. Taft to
carry Judge Hough's decision to the
Supreme Court, in order that this
vital question, in its relation to poll
cal liberty, might be determined
once and for all. Where princi-
pie of this magnitude is involved
nothing can be taken safely for
granted or left to chance, and the
decision of the United States Circuit
Court in such case cannot be final
as Judge Hough plainly indicated
when he himself suggested AN ap-
peal.
1t may be true, as many news.
papers have asserted, that no other
president would try to do what Mr..
Roosevelt did; but this Is mere as
sumption. Until Mr.. Roosevelts day
nobody dreamed that President of
the United States would pretend that
the act to. protct harbor defenses
was federal libel law. and that the
National Government had coordinate
jurisdiction with the State Govern
ments In prosecutions of libel What
ne did some other President may do.
Indeed, If Roosevelt law is constitu-
utional law, what Mr.. Roosevelt did
every succeeding President of the
United States must do-unlcss the
act is repealed--or else violate hiS
solemn oath of Office to take care