Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-09-25
glssIoN OF THE NEWSPAPER.

Ever since men began 10 PRINT
thing that other people did not like
there has been more or less contro-
versy concerning the function OF the
neHapaper The CRATER has always
declared that the newspaper is pub
lie nuisance. the tyrant has contended
that Il is arrayed against the best in
teresis Of the State and the man with
half-baked theories Of life has con-
tended that the press is the agent OF
the devil in over-throwing the morals
Of the community Despite opposi-
ton. however, the press has won its
way to freedom. Today il occupies
an unique position. A very pro-
found observer, in speaking OF news
papers, said:
What do we have the newspapers
forg Why are they granted liberties
under the Constitution? II is because
they are needed as a part of the gov
eminent They are part OF the gov
eminent; unrestrained, but valuable
and useful for that very reason.
"A newspaper can print anything,
even to erroneous statements. IL can
print anything except malicious lies.
It's function in the government Is to
investigate. TO pry into the business
OF every department of the govern
ment, and TO criticize wherever it sees
fit.
1T sometimes makes me out of pa
tience with newspapers that all do not
realize their function, that they are
virtually a part OF the government.
II is their duty TO find out evils wher-
ever they exist and bring them to the
attention OF the responsible authori-
ties. They are the great safeguard
against corruption in public Office.
"And how much better they can do
this work than any grand jury, They
have their men going about every
where, nosing into everything. If
there is anything wrong they will be
sure to find il out. Some one will
drop hint. Then the facts are
printed and they go Immediately be-
fore the administrative officer who is
responsible
III he does not act the remedy is
still in the newspapers they can
bring the matter of the negligence OF
the public official TO the attention of
the persons to whom that official is
responsible. and lastly they place all
the facts before the people, who at
any time can regulate anything UNI
der our form OF government.
NO. am not one who believes that
the function OF the grand jury has
passed away. / have the greatest
faith in the value of good grand
jury. But il is not the function of a
grand jury to investigate and criticize
purely administrative matters, 1t
will have all it can do to consider
cases of crime brought before it,"
The man who does not agree with
these sentiments will very likely say
at once: sWho said that? Some edi-
tor very likely But the man would
be mistaken. Il was not an editor
who declared that newspapers are a
part OF the government. II was a
lawyer. and, more than that, lawyer
who occupied seat on the bench
The sentiment quoted is part of an
opinion delivered from the bench by
Judge Mayer Sulzberger of Philadel-
phia.
So far as we now recall, Sulzberger
was the first judge to give judicial
standing to the newspaper as part
of the government The Philadelphia
jurist simply discovered a fact that
has been conceded by the general
public in this country for many
years. People who are inclined to
disagree with the opinion that the
newspapers are a part of the govern
ment should try to eonjure up a vision
of a republic in which there are no
newspapers.
II good government is impossible
without newspapers, then newspapers
are part OF good government
WHAT UNIVERSAL MILITARY