The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-23
IS
UNJUST SAYS
.H0RKHE|MER.
We Have Laws a Plenty to Do
the Work, Balboa Presi.
dent Declares.
By II. NJ. HORKHEIMER,
President and General Manager Of the
Balboa Amusement Produc.
Ing Company. 4

Free speech. free press and 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 main
tenance has been largely responsible
for our republics longevity. But let
the stamp Of approval once be put up
on the censorship OF any form Of ex-
preston and. then and there, Will be-
gin the end OF democracy In America.
OF late, there have been sporadic
efforts In various parts OF the country
TO legalize 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
the world at large goes. with no ex-
perlencc in the realm Of dramatic
production or scopeful knowledge Of
literature. To be qualified to pass
fairly upon cinematographic output,
II goes without saying that the CEN
sor should be we'll versed In all these.
varied fields. A man is not deemed
to DO competent Judge Of the bench
unless he has an inclusive legal edu-s
cation. vs.
Moving picture censorship has come
to be fostered in many instances be-
cause Of its political possibilities.
Mayors, city councils and other adj
minlstratlve and legislative officials,
municipal and state have seen in II Q
new club that they can WELD. Be-
cause the picture industry Is big ana
opulent. some have even come to re-
gard II as a particularly ripe field for
picking. Politics and graft, you know,
are not strangers.
Not Necessary.
Screen producers know from ex-
perience that nothing pays so well %
clean, wholesome picture plays. They
are in business to make money. Hence,
It Is absurd to believe that they viii.
as a body, do anything contrary TO
their best interest. l grant you that,
occasjonally someone turns out q pic
ture that is not what II should be. But
II Is the exception and not the rule.
To take care Of such, 1t is not neces-
sary to build up big, autocratic cen-
sorship system.
There are ample laws already on
the statute books to deal with the in
diyidual offender In the moving pic
ture field, Just as with newspapers
that issue injudicious matter. It were
as reasonable to demand that we re-
quire the press to submit It's proof 70
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 makers
Advocates Of censorship are not
Americans in fact, though they may
happen by chance Of birth to be
citizens Of our country. They would
transplant a foreign policy which
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