The Washington herald., 1915-02-22
Wants
PRESS MUzzLED
Throttling of Free Newspa-
pers Urged by Florida Sem
ator at All Souls.
BITTER ATTACK IS MADE
Such Institution as Free Press Never
Should Have Been Allowed,
He Says.

Heroic defense of public men from the
time of George Washington down
through history to the present Congress,
scathing attack on the yellow, sensa-
tional and undertaking press and a de-
mand that the free press of this nation
be throttled were high lights in an ad-
dress by Senator Duncan U. Fletcher.
of Florida, at All Souls Church last
night.
Senator Fletcher spoke before the Lib
eral Religious Union Of the church, and
such throng crowded the lecture room
that extra chairs were placed. There
was a personal note in Senator Fletch-
er's words. and his somewhat extrava-
CANT adjectives were accepted by some
of his auditors as an indication that he
possesses personal antagonism toward
newspapers.
The Senator showed that George
Washington had been attacked by the
press as tyrant and misappropriator
OF public funds by reading clippings
from newspapers published when WASH
inston was President The Senator then
stated that even as Washington was
grossly maligned, SO public men of to-
day are misrepresented In a biased
press.
Speaks on Integrity.
I'm the lives of our public men Of to-
day. integrity is not only the rule" said
Senator Fletcher. but. 1t is q truth that
the lack Of integrity is the very rarest
exception. The people who believe differ
emily have been given that belief I'M
questionably by the yellow, muck-rak king
and sensational press"
Senator Fletcher read at length a
number Of quotations published in the
early days of this nation, in which Wash
ington was violently abused, and, with
later leaders of the nation, given the
Vilest names. In one article the charge
was made that Washington was dis
honest and had robbed the Treasury of
public money.
When Washington left public life and
retired to the quiet and privacy of Mount
Vernon. Senator Fletcher asserted, one
of the news journals declared that the
one cause Of the nations great misfor-
tunes had been reduced to the level of
the common people" The press Of that
early day. Senator Fletcher said. freely
predicted that the names of all the lead
ers Of that day would be held up to ex-
ecration in generations to come, even the
name of George Washington.
During the civil war, said Senator
Fletcher. certain newspapers went SO far
as to assert that the acts of Lincoln
might De compared with the acts Tor
which Charles / of England lost his head
Senator Fletcher quoted red hot attacks
in newspapers against Adams and JEFF
ferson and Albert Gallatin.
What is today called the free press
was born with the birth of this nation.
said Senator Fletcher. and this free
press, he declared. has become a tyrant.
fearless and unrestrained. Referring to
news writer's. Senator Fletcher said:
These fellows should have been stopped
right then. Such an institution as this
so-called free press never should have
been allowed
Says Cowardice IL Result.
THE newspapers today are tyrannical
molders of public opinion. and have in
spired in public men a fear Of the press
that is but a species OF cowardice. That
is why public men fear to attack the
press" Senator Fletcher urged his au-
ditors to take up arms against the
tyrant press" but did not advocate any
specific plan for muzzling the news COL
umns
"Since the earliest days Of this nation"
he asserted. 1.-The free press has grown
worse and worse. and il some brake is
not applied, IL some stopping point Is
not raised, it will continue to grow
worse and worse past the point OF for
bearance. The very people about whom
the chains of this free press aye bound
are the people who kiss those chains like
the lowest and meanest slave"