Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-23

lne eHOTI OIL 1TSSlueHJ NliSOii
to have written into the espionage
bill newspaper censorship clause of
the character advocated by the adj
ministration. To do otherwise would
be to submit weakly to a wrong to
themselves and the public at large,
and to surrender a right guaranteed
them by the Constitution of the
United States. With the censorship
rule in force as advocated, irrepar-
able wrong would be done, inefficien-
cy in Office would be shielded and
the people of the country left with
out opportunity to form an intelli-
gent opinion of public stewardship.
The President urges a censorship
that would forbid absolutely the pub
lication of a single criticism of any
man in the national service or any
measure considered or adopted by
Congress relating to the war.
Newspapers would be COM
PEELED to publish what the Presi-
dent and his friends want published
or keep quiet. There would be no
freedom in the land and personal
liberty would become a mockery.
Our government processes to be
fighting in this war the battle of
democracy" yet we are asked to sub
nit to such a tyranny as the Kaiser
himself has not had the temerity to
attempt.
The independent newspaper has
been and is the bulwark of Ameri-
can free institutions. Remove the
freedom of the press and it is only
very short step to stoppage of free
speech. In every community the
public in recent years has fiocked to
the support of the newspaper that
has established its own freedom by
printing the news in unbiased form
and by contending for what it earn
estly believes to be for the best in
terests of all the people. In short,
the public has come to look with dis
favor and mistrust upon the newspa-
per published merely for political
purposes or for the advancement of
its ownership, whether individual
or corporate. The effect has been to
immeasurably strengthen the press
1f the nation. And now, at one fell
blow, the President would lay low
this fiourishing tree of independent
American Journalism, under the
guise of war necessity, but in reality
for vastly different reasons, and
would make of the newspapers of
the country unwilling truckers to
the whims of his own political sub
ordinates. 1t is unthinkable that
Congress will adopt any such meas
ure, and the HARRISBURG TELE-
GRAPH rejoices immeasurably in
the courageous attitude of the Re-
publican members IN opposition to
.Ia
Not one American newspaper has
published anything since the war
began which could be construed for
a moment as giving information or
encouragement to Germany, unless
perchance it may have been parts of
the speeches of some of the Presi-
dents own party leaders in Con-
gress; Senator Stone, for example.
Take for illustration Marshal
Joffre. There is no more readable
news than that concerning the doings
of this famous Frenchman. Yet in
a day Joffre dropped completely out
of sight Why? Because the State
Department simply let fall a hint
that it would be better to have his
whereabouts for the present un-
known. Again, where is Root, spe-
cial representative TO Russia? The
newspapers-some of them, at least,
know, but they won't tell until Wash
ington says the time is ripe.
American newspapers are sitting
as censors on themselves and in ad-
dition they are willing and ready to
abide by any rule designed to con-
ceaI from the enemy the activities of
the government in prosecution of the
war and to withhold any item that
may be of laid or comfort" to him.
But they object most'strenuously and
will resist to the last breath unjust
infringement upon their constitu-
tional rights and they will refuse alb
solutely to be bound by policy cal
culated to make abject slaves oi
themselves and political serfs of the
American people.