The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-23
IS
. UNJUST SAYS
H0RkRE|MER.
We Have Laws a Plenty to Do
the Work, Balboa Presl-
dent Declares.
BY II. NJ. H0RKHElMER,
President and General Manager OF the
Balboa Amusement PRODUCE
Ing Company. 4

Free speech, free press and a free
stage have always been the ideal Of
the American people. In fact, one Of
the most sacred guarantees OF the
constitution OF the United States is
the freedom Of expression. Its mann
tcnance has been largely responsible
for our republics longevity But let
tho stamp Of approval once be put up
on the censorship Of any form OF OK.
preston and, then and there, Will be-
gin the end OF democracy In America.
or late, there have been sporadic
efforts in various parts OF the country
to legalizo motion picture censorship,
Groups Of people feeling themselves
competent to say what their fellow
being shall or shall not see portrayed
on the screen have sought to fetter
this newest medium OF expression, not
IN the spirit OF broadness Of democracy
but to conform to their narrow and
individual ideas.
Should BE Qualified.
The result has been the formation
Of censorship boards In almost every
crossroads community. In most In
stances, they are composed OF per-
sons OF limited education, 80 far as
tho world at large goes, with no OK
perlence In the realm Of dramatic
production or scopeful knowledge Of,
literature. To be qualified to pass
fairly upon cinematographicl output,
1t goes without saying that the CEN
sor should be we'll versed In all these
varied fields. A man Is not deemed
to DO a competent Judge Of the bench
unless he has an inclusive legal edii-
cation.
Moving picture censorship has come
to be fostered in many instances be-
cause OF It's political possibilities.
Mayors, city councils and other ad'A
minlstratlve and legislative officials,
municipal and state have seen IN It q
new club that they can weld. Bee
cause the picture industry Is big ana
opulent, some have even come to re-
gard 1t as a particularly ripe field foF
picking. Politics and graft, you know,
are not strangers.
Not Necessary. An
Screen producers know from OK (
perlence that nothing pays so well q
clean, wholesome picture plays. They
are in business to make money. Hence,
1t is absurd to believe that they Will
as a body, do anything contrary TO-
their best interest. grant you thai,
occasionally, someone turns out Q pic
tlre that Is not what II should be. But
It is the exception and not the rule.
To take care Of such, 1t Is not necess
sary to build up big, autocratic CEN
sorship system.
There are ample laws already on
the statute books to deal with the IN
diyldual offender in the moving pic
ture field, Just as with newspapers
that issue injudicious matter. 1t were
as reasonable to demand that we fqs
quire the press to submit It's proof q
a board Of censors in this country to-
day, as to expect 1t Of the cinema pro
ducers. Save in few instances, Amer
lean journalism has not confused lib
erty with license; and the same may
be said of the motion picture makerrs
Advocates Of censorship are not
Americans in fact, though; they may
happen by a chance Of birth to be
citizens Of our country. They would
transplant a foreign policy which
Continued on page z. End SEQ