The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-06
THE MOTIVE OF THE LAW.

THE MOTIVE OF THE LAW.
In the discussion OF the "ridcr'' on
the postofficc appropriation bill winch
WAS evidently partly designed for re
vcnge upon the newspapers and partly
as a censorship over them, the news
papers Of the country have generally
Joined, and always with keen, criti'
cal view OF that legislation, which is by
no means complimentary TO the persons
who stood for H. In all that discussion,
we have not seen anything more per
! tinent and direct as following the
origin of that legislation to its proper
source than the following editorial in
recent number Of the Portland Ore
| gonian;
GETTING EVEN WITH TIE PRESS.
The Boston Transcript Is credited.
| in a paragraph going the rounds OF
| the newspapers, with the statement
as chairman Of the Senate COMMITTEES
on Postofflces TO get even with the
| newspapers by procuring the enact
ment OF the drastic newspaper inquisi.
motive for taking revenge on the news
papers Is that the press OF Oregon gem
| orally opposed ms re- clCCllpn.
| 1t is a fact that Mr.. Bourne is chair
| man OF the postoffice committee and
was n member of the conference COM
mittees that in the recen, Congress ad-
| justed a dispute with the House over tho
| posIotficc appropriation bin. TO which
the obnoxious and impossible publicity
| provision was attached as Il rider. 1T is
a fact that the press of Oregon was all
most a unit IN opposition to Senator
| Bourne's reelection; and IL Is fact thas
the publicity amendment was slipped
| through without discussion and without
the. knowledge, Of press or people, II Is
| a fact, too, that II contains provisions
relative to the labelling of advertise
ments" that arc similar TO certain pro,
practices act. But whether it is a fact
that Senator Bourne was inspired by any
| vcngeful motive OF reprlsal upon the
newspapers the Oregonian does not know,
| and does not much care. IL 1t shall seem
to Senator Bourne worth while 10 DIS.
claim any such purpose. we shall accept
his statement at face value.
| law requiring the newspapers 20 pub
! lsh at stated intervals the names of
their owners and editors, and also their
| creditors If they have any. as well as
their circulation. are not Objectionable In
| themselves, and most newspapers comply
cheerfully. The public is undoubtedly
entitled to know what influences con-
papers, and II is 20 be observed that, while
| the new law has been taken into court
| to determine its constltutionality. nearly
all have nevertheless tulhlled these con-
ditons
The offensive implication of the law is
that the newspapers of the United
| States have been selling their news or
editorial pages. or both-an assumption
| that IS groundiess and little less than
outrageous. The searching and particu-
| lar demand Is made that the newspaper
| shall forfeit the right TO the malls unless
| 1t shall label as advertisements all no
| tees for which money is paid or any
| valuable consideration given-an intol-
| erabIe assumption Of censorship over the
columns of the press that is generally re-
| sented and Is being nowhere obeyed. No
honest newspaper VIII deceive its pa
| irons as TO the character or inspiration
| for any Item or article or advertisement;
no other newspaper can hope TO succeed
In the long run IL 1t prints tainted news
or opinions. But no newspaper whatever
| can maintain its independence or self
respect II it shall permit TO be trans
| ferred to Government censorship control
OF Its columns and dictation as to the
character of their contents. II a news
paper must bear every day on its pages
| the stamp of the Governments approval
or suffer the stigma Of its disapproval
all constitutional guarantees as to fret
| speech mean nothing and We shall have
Ia this country u RussianiZed press thai
dares speak the truth only when some
upstart bureaucrat In Washington gives
his consent or has his back turned.
The wide sweep OF the inquisltoria
statute may be understood when il i:
said that under It's terms strictly in.
terpreted. book may not be sent tc
ion of the editor, whether favora BIZ
or unfavorable. shall be labeled "adver
tisement," Nor may a notice be giver
of public performance OF any kind. tt
which admission is charged. and to which
newspaper representative may have
been invited for purposes OF criticism o.
report. unless it shall be designated 'ad
vertisement." sporting editor Is eiver
IA pass 10 o football game. The price o
admission is triflng. and the So called
courtesy on that accoun; is nominal q
Is all-important and is not 10 be haC
for n price. but only as a matter OF ac
commodatlon. Yet the Government woulr
apparently require all newspapers T.
fastcn upon running account % q grea
sporting event the untrue mark OF "ad
vertlsement."
All this sounds ridiculous, Of course
but the Postoffice Department. asked {,
interpret the law, has given ont wore
that Il Will follow the strict letter of it,
provisions. Yet the Solicitor General o
the United States In his brief filed oe
fore the Supreme Court the other da '
plainly intimated that he had no eypec
tation OF the advertisement feature o
The law being Ir pronounced ."n, valid r.
desira bility. from the standpoint Of publi
policy. of knowing the names Of news
paper owners and creditors. Ec make
an appeal for the court 10 sustain at leas
30 much OF the proposed inGuisit,on. Mr.
Beck. an attorney for ono of thr pub
'ishcrs attacks the constitutinnpli'v q
the law as a whole. with powerful an,
convincing argument; and II seems 10 b.
; clear that the proposed inquiry bv III
Government into the affairs OF news
papers stands upon doubtful ground
To which it may bc proper to ad,
that the people Of Oregon gave Senate
Bourne his walking papers AT the rcccn
election in excellent form and for pro
per cause,
ANOTHER DISCLAIMER