Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-28
The Good and the Bad in New Law.
OF New York.


with all its absurdities. and it's
jokers. and its nonentities, the news
paper law, we are bound to admit, has
its partially redeeming features. If a
few less lawmakers had been content
to keep their misehievous fingers out
of the pie, and had aimed honestly to
produce law PROFESSIONALLY consti-
tuiional with the determination to
reach the root of acknowledged evils
according to the intent of the origi-
nators.--well, if all these things had
been adhered to, it might have been
law worth while.
The decision of the attorney gen.
eral, published Friday morning, deals
with certain important phases of the
law but does not relieve the general
contempt for such provisions as that
which will apply to the review of
books and magazines and, if carried
out to the last letter of the law. to
free tickets to newspaper men who
are invited to criticize a horse race, a
theatre, ball game or w. G. I. U.
convention.
Imagine the editor of a daily news
paper giving half column review to
q book that has come to his desk, be-
cause nc likes the book and wishes his
friends To read it, and being obliged to
label his criticism advertisement
The value of the book might be $150
or $500; the value of the review at
card rates % cents per line, or perhaps
$40 Delightful law. isn't it?
On the other hand. the editor might
not like the book; he might disagree
with it's moral tome or its literary
value He might criticize it severely,
advising against its reading, and thus
injure rather than advance the sale
of the book. But. under the, new law
he must put line Advertisement
over his review, because, forsooth, he
hac received the, to him, worthless
book and it is supposed to be val
liable consideration"
The same conditions would apply to
e show, horse trot, football game
or SUNDAY School exhibition to raise
money TO shingle the church. The free
ticket sent he reporter would be a
valuable consideration" and hence
the description of the exercises would
be advertising.
Going beyond these provisions that
serve no sensible purpose, there
is a deeper significance-the attack
upon the freedom of the press. There
have been others of the sort i'm Ameri
can history. The first was the old Sc
ditien Act tFe H.
We have no doubt that Postmaster
General Hitchcock, who opposed the
bill before the committees in Congress
and President Taft who signed the
measure because to have vetoed il
would have left the Post Office De-
partment without funds (anothel
striking comment on the beauties OF
modern legislative triekery in the way
of riders for appropriation bilis) are
both convinced of the unconstitution-
atty of the law. 1t is undeniably stup-
i'd and superfluous, and will be con
tested in the courts. because of the
provision requiring the disclosing o
the ownership or control of newspa
pers. If for no other reason.
But, as we remarked at the outset
there are in it provisions of good in
tent. We believe the newspaper which
stoops to the journalistic trickery o
selling its editorial space to unmarll
ed advertising is robbing the entir
press of it's rights to pubic confidenc
and respect. The newspaper which
sells such space and lends itself I
palpable deception Of its readers,
more dangerous to the public than tn
common thief, ii stultifies papers TAX
ing positions calculated TO render put
lie service, and causes both the buyt
and the seller of editorial columns
look down on journalism; it become
that most commonly denounced Oh
ject of popular disgust, a CRATER.
To rent the part of a newspap
which is it's voice and is expected
express the convictions of it's owne
or responsible representative of pu
lie interests and progress. its edito
To the promotion of any trade or ira
fc that is ready TO pay an extra a
yertlsing rate is journalistic piracy
il is done, we are convinced, and !