Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-03-28
TO CENSOR MOVIES
OR, TO CREATE JOBS
A Bill That Savors of Graft and
More Expensive Jobs.
FOR TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR.
A Possibility OF the Bill Being Defeated
What Others Say.

Mr.. Bryants bill TO establish a state
board of moving-picture censors came
up on its third reading in the House
last night under special order
Mr.. Wilkinson led the fight against
the bill, declaring an overwhelming
sentiment existed in the State against
a movie censorship Mr. Hall attempt
Ell 10 secure an adjournment. but the
House voted him down.
Mr.. Hall then moved to have the bill
70 over until fodav to coma up as un-
finished business. but the House was
determined to reach a decision on cen
sorship. Majority Floor Leader Bryant
took up the argument where Mr. Hall
had interrupted. Upon roll-call the bill
was passed by So to votes to 26.
SiXty-fve ayes. who voted for nil
which is so palpably graft that it must
leave bad taste in their mouths this
morning. siXty-fiye who voted to Gre
ate three more nice fat jobs at the ex-
pense OF the taxpayers. Censorship
by such board as proposed in this bill
is of no benefit TO anyone except the
board of censors.
There is still a possibility of the bill
being defeated in the Senate and il is
hoped enough interest will be shown
by the public and picture men now tc
accomplish his. The following edito-
rial appeared N the New York Amer
lean ON March IA
The American feels, as il has said
many times, that a Fundamental right
of free publication is assailed by every
successful attempt TO impose a censor
ship upon moving pictures. Nor do we
regard an assault upon the freedom OF
pictorial publication as any light or
trivial matter.
we believe ami We believe very
earnestly, the freedom of The print
ed press will not long be secure from
attack if the freedom of the pictorial
press is not stoutly defended against
censorship. it does not make a parti-
Gle of difference whether the movies
are educational or merely entertaining
whether they present Hamlet or Char
lie Chaplin. whether they only bore an
audience with dreary stuff that is sup
posed TO create an intellectual atmos-
pilere. or zsSiEehe errtheynnaKcr-ss4ut s4uty0f-
persons laugh and forget their toll and
cares'still the movies are exactly what
we have styled them the pictorial press
Now the one essential point 10 bear
in mind is that il makes no difference
| whether we believe a newspaper to be
a cheap and shallow me,lium of senti-
ment slush and worked-oyer rags and
tags OF superficial information and
copybook n.aXims, or whether We CON
slider it product of thought and real
scholarship. Still that newspaper is
| entitled to the right of free publication,
uncenS0red by anybody and answer
| able only to the laws which prohibit;
| libel and improperly
| "And that is exactly the rightful pO-
sitiOn of the moving picture press. and
every one of us should unite in main
! tanning that position with all possible
| effort The proposed Federal moving
! picture censorship, like all State NOV
| ing picture censorships, is an assault
| upon the Constitutional guarantee OF
the liberty of printing and publication,
1T is q serious and dangerous as
sault and should be manfullv an6
| strenuously resisted by every printed
| publication in the country end by every
| citizen who believes in free speech and
the other guarantees of republican
/ government"