The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-02-15

paper bill is rare curiosity.
1t is ridiculous and amusing.
There is little danger of its
passage, but the serious aspect
of it is that it shows the desire
on the part of certin coterie
of politicians in this state to
suppress the newspapers, or
make of them plant tools in
the hands of politicians and
criminals.
Read the bill and think about
it's provisions. 1t is as follows:
Section /. That whenever
a newspaper, magazine or pc
riodical printed or published in
this state shall print or publish,
either in its editorial or news
columns, an article written by
any editor, reporter, correSpon-
dent or any person or persons
whomsoever, which article or
articles shall make an attack or
make any charge or charges
or in any way affect the char
acter, standing in the commu-
nifty or conduct of any person
or persons, whether private
citizens or public officers, such
newspapers, magazines or pc
riodical shall publish in the first
edition or publication afte" the
same shall be furnished the an
swer, denial, explanation o. de
fence of said person or persons,
without making the said person
or persons pay therefor; and
the said answer, denial, eXpla-
nation or defence shall be given
the same prominence in said
newspaper, magazine or period
ical as the article or articles
containing said charge or
charges
Section Any editor, man
ager or other officer or person
in authority Of newspaper,
magazine or periodical who
shall refuse or neglect or be re-
sponsible for the failure to
print and publish said answer,
denial, explanation or defence
of said person or persons at
tackled or charged, as set out in
Section l of this act. shall be
deemed guilty of misdemeanor
and upon conviction thereof
shall be subject to a fine Of not
less than $500 and imprison-
ment in the county jail of not
less than thirty days. Pro-
Vided. however, that no news
paper, magazine or periodical
shall be required to publish or
print any article whatsoever
which shall contain obscene or
profane language"
Suppose the cashier of bank !
should steal all the money in
ne bank and be caught and put |
in jail If this bill were law, no |
newspaper, especially small !
paper, could afford to publish |
the facts, because it would af- |
feet the standing in the com
munity" Of the cashier. if a
paper should dare to publish
the facts the thief and his law
yers could fix up one of those
long legal documents which ii
would be impossible for the
paper to publish, and if the edi-
tor did not publish it he would 4
have to pay at least $500 and
also spend 80 days in Jail; and, i
not having the $500, would have
to remain in Jail permanently
while the man who stole the |
bank would have his crime COW
cred up by suppressing the
facts, and would go free with
the stolen money in his pocket.
Suppose negro should steal
a cnw-nO matter how convinc-
ing the evidence, no matter if
he were convicted and sent to
the chaingang, it would cost an
editor $500 and 30 days in jail |
to publish the facts, if the ne
gro should demand the pubica-
ton free, in his defense, the
whole speech of his long-wind-
ed lawyer, the emancipation
proclamation and the writings
of Booker Washington.
The bill makes no distinction |
between the publication OF |
truth and untruth.
1t makes no difference if
what is published is true, if it
makes any charge, or affects a
persons standing" And the
paper has to publish the offend
ed mans reply, and no matter
what charges it makes against
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