Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-05
rENN,rACKER AvroBroGRAruy-So. 4.


AND now the session Of the Legislature
"A ended and that ordeal had been passed
with general approval and with much of i'm
portancc accomplished Tho ncwspa pers he.
gan to make suggestions that would bc tho
next Republican candidate for the presi.
dency of the United states Tho situation,
however, lasted for q very short time Tho
effort to better tho conditions of life. so
long as II only intorfercd with the plans
of corporations and politicians, was much
To he commended. but when tho same care
and thought were directed toward tho inn
rrovement of journalism II was dreadful
to contemplate. bill had been passed
called tho "Salus Grady Pill" which made
newspapers responsible for tho want Of
reasonable care, and required them to pub
lsh OF the editorial page, with cachi issue,
the names of those responsible for the man.
ascmeut In other words. it made them
subject TO the legal principles which gov.
ern the other business relations of men.
II was n slight step in the right direction,
that was all. II had been recommended in
my inaugural address and had heen care.
fully drawn, Carson and myself taking
pains to soc that II cou>n result in no
injury TO legitimate newspaper enterprise,
II was not the suggestion Of quay, Zen
rose or any other politician, hut was the
outcome of my experience upon tho bench,
where I had known many AN unfortunate
to he convicted, and many a criminal to be
acquitted, because Of Impressions made
upon tho minds of jurors by the reckless
and inaccurate publication OF the facts. aud
because of tho irresponsible interference of
tho press in all sensational trials to the
disadvantage of the administration of JUS
tice. In fact, the doctrine Of the liberty of
tho press is an anaChronism which has
become harmful and tho time mas come
when it ought to bc discarded from our
Constitution and laws Like monarchy
aud pricstcraft It once answered good
purpose. When kings secretly imprisoned
and hehoadcd mon who thwartcd their
purposes it was an agency for the welfare
Of the people. Those times have gone. Tho
newspaper is now n venture to make
profit, and everywhere II shows tho results
of the temptation to sell those wares that
find a market filth, scandal and crime.
The secrecy which was once weapon FOR
kings is now it's weapon, since II prints
attacks and destroys, and whose was tho
brain that conceived, or tho hand that
' .,,,., =,
o',e ".,p'"' ~" -.
H"''' NV
hut they require the same kind of watching
and ought to have no greater facilities
Reputation at Stake
The bill before me was TO he treated like
all other bills and to he determined ac-
cordng to it's merits. OF course, was
well aware of the capacity of the press TO
do personal mischief. When ! vetoed the
bill authorizing the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad
Company and other railroad companies to
take homestcads in the exercise of the right
of eminent domain, no doubt they were
paIned. but they were noiselcss. | did not
need TO he told that the stopping of the sale
of scandal would not he noselcss but !
was anxious that Pennsylvania should
make the first real effort to correct what
thoughtful men regard as the most far.
reaching of the evils of modern life. Before
any disposition of the bill should be made,
the newspaper men asked for public
,,oorir,, 7, r.as ,o ho mado a rrost occa.
A.. ,,,,.,.,,
Sio" w "'"N,' Wv ,r,. -, *
''o''' Wv ~, .',,t.,.
1t ny p,o''''''7 ;,
the gang" in order to be a gag" upon tho
press which was only eager to expose