Imperial Valley press., 1917-02-09
NO MENACE TO A CLEAN PRESS.

United States that is intended to prevent corrupt prac
tees through the employment of newspapers in political
other propaganda attack upon the freedom OF the
press may be found in that that law, existing pro-
posed need affect the established policy of honestly man.
aged and cleany edited journals This is because such
journals already conform the ethical rules which it is
purposed to apply to all publications. great deal
more concern than warranted by the facts displayed
by some newspapers and groups Of newspaper IN this
connection They be afraid that the public press
will be uzzed that the voice Of the public will be 81
fenced that liberty of opinion will be destroyed SIMPLY
because there to be effort already too long delayed
TO curb publishers and EDITORS VINO use tne press as
cover for questionable reprehensbe and dishonest
practices ,
It not the liberty but the license of the press that
is threatened by law designed to protect the pubic
against basey commercialzed subsidized and corrupted
newspapers Not many years have passed since long
loud protest went up from certain newspapers through
out the land because the Postofce Department by act
Of Congress- refused the privilege of the mails to news
papers carrying lottery advertisements, or announce
ments of lottery drawings The whole foundation was
going be removed from the priceless heritage OF
enlightened and advanced public opinion newspapers that
undertook defy the lottery law were now to be prose
cuted If, at the time, had accepted the statements
of certain publishers and editors who denied further
share the proceeds of the lottery swindles it would
have seemed the entire fabric of free government
was about to tumble down about their heads.
Liquor traffic is prohibited in many of the states;
and into these states regardless of the protests of their
citizens newspapers published for revenue only have been
introducing LIQUOR advertisements. Because of the
states have enacted laws against the admission of such
newspapers and because the federal government is at
length likely to be shamed into nerdcng their carriage
through the mails another alarm is sounded by the self
appointed defenders of the freedom of the press But
it is unnecessary say the press will lose of its
freedom Of its influence none OF its dignity, and
none of the responsibility ought have through the
operation of law which will prevent it from sharing
in the revenue from ilegitimate liquor traffic.
Some of the best and most prosperous newspapers in
the United States have been in way Individually
cerned in regard the Bourne law enacted 1872 which
demands in effect that news shall be presented news
and advertising advertising, and that there shall be
10 attempt to confuse the reader by mixing the two
There newspapers in existence today that long ago
laid down the rule that nothing in the line of paid mat
ter shoul dppear news that have faithfully adhered
that rule and that have found strict honesty in their
relations with the public the best policy in every
These newspapers not disturbed today by the cry
that the freedom of the press is in danger They do
believe it be endangered by the application
papers of rules of conduct that fundamentally sound
The profession of law has lost nothing in character
Influence since those who follow it have been compelled
to dferenate openly between service performed for
fee and service performed purely in the public interest
Lobbying continues but the lobbyist must now stand gen
orally speaking for what he is make plain what he does
account for what he gets and explain why ne gets it.
There is nothing in the bill reported recently by Sen
ator James A Reed of Missouri for the prevention and
correction of abuses of pee freedom that should in the
least alarm the conscientious and careful publisher
editor The newspapers of the county that depend
legitimate business solely will not we are sure find it
difficult to conduct themselves within the spirit well
within the letter of the most drastic provision of the
proposed corrupt practices act.
In far affects publications. the legislation for
the further protection Of the ballot pending in Con-
gress plainly in the interest of clean and honest jour
nasm and clean and honest journalism the buwark
of fere press The time is coming when newspapers
will be held to much stricer account than they now
for deliberate sstaements in articles and in head
lines and it is within to expect that the newspaper
will eventually be held to responsibility for utterances
against which it's present mpesonal character too often
shields it but then right that it ought to possess
and no measure Of freedom of expression that it ought
TO enjoy in democracy will be denied it, On the con-
trary its judgment will have increased weight and it's