South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-03
ANDREWS TALKS
At ROUND TABLE
Discusses Origin, Evolution
and Present Power
of the Press.

which gives IL importance and
makes IL an important factor ia the
cody polite. grows out Of its free
dom from external control" de
cIared Charles r. Andrews IN his
address on the subject. THE Press. %
at the regular meeting and dinner
OF the Round Table. Wednesday
night az the Y. ". q. A
But" continued Mr.. Andrews
that freedom was not attained in
this country until about one hundred
years ago. To attain IL had required
struggle lasting more than three
centuries"
Mr.. Andrews discussed the origin
Of the press and dwelt upon its evO-
luton and its present power He
said. 1T must not be forgotten that
the press as an agent in government
was everywhere regarded as an up
start interioper. meddling where it
had no business. There was no place
for a IN the governmental scheme.
The king and provincial governors
represented the nations or prov
inces. parliament and the legislative
assem- hlies represented the political
or secular opinions and interests of
the people. and the church repre-
sented their spiritual and religious
thought ard convictiou. What need
for a Fourth Estate 90
The fallacy or this argument lies
i'm the fact that neither king. parlia-
ment nor church understood. much
less represented, the true heart and
spirit Of the people IN truth the
common people were hardly CON
scious OF 10 themselves. Their
hands were stretched out cropping
blindly IN the darkness and IL be-
came the Office or the press 20 dispel
the darkness and direct and
strengthen the hitherto feeble hands
and helpless. This could Dee accom-
plished only by full and free pub
licity. This publicity the three old
estates were determined 20 prevent"
Rise To- Freedom.
Mr. Andrews continued with "a
brief description OF the rise Of the
press 10 freedom in Great Britain
and in the United States. In doing
so ne illustrated his talk with sew
eral instances Of court cases and on
the present condition Of press free
dom ne said. The present attitude
OF public opinion and the courts in
Great Britain and the United States
toward the press can be stated in the
words OF Alexander Hamilton i'm one
Of his last addresses before the bar:
Nothing is libel which is published
from good motive and for justihable
ends and 10 show this the truth OF
the facts charged as libelOus may
be given in evidence and this wheth-
or against public measures. public
officials or private citizens" This
IS the freedom Of the press.
1T was during the 18th century
that the press achieved its freedom
and developed it's power. Lecky
calls its growth the most moment
Gus OF the events OF that century. 1t
modified the political life as much
as steam did the economic. He
ADDS that OF all the instruments hui
man wisdom has devised a free
press is the most efficacious i'm put
ting an end TO jobs. abuses. political
malversation and corruption To Is
difficult to overestimate its service
as means for the political educa-
ton Of the masses"
Regarding Newspapers
In referring 20 newspapers alone.
Nh Andrews continued. Within
the last century and largely within
the present generation the news
paper has undergone a remarkab BILE
transformation as 10 the object Of
its publishers. In the early days
the publisher was the editor and ne
felt that he had q mission 20 fulfil.
such were Hamilton and Madison
I'm the FeGeralist. whose object was
10 secure ratification of the Federal
constitution. such were Noah Web
ster and William Cullen Bryan. who
sought 20 nstill patriotism and
educate and elevate their readers.
such was Horace Greeley. whose
New York Tribune was devoted 10
the adjustment OF slavery. such
was Joseph Nedul, using the Chi
cage Tribune for tho same object
Another class OF the personal journ-
aiists were the BENEFITS and the
elder Pulitzer. whose sole ami ition
was financial success through cater
ing 20 the baser tastes of human
nature. thus making the sensational
MENtRAfNA III AAlAr AI.fNr A1eAIHI Is
the present chief example. though
TO the hunger for lucre he adds
thirst for power AS a result the
newspaper publishing has become
chiefly a matter OF business The
large 6ailies are owned by corpora
tons and the editors are simply
hired mea."
In conclusion he said. II am OF
the opinion that even venal press
presents no serious danger so Ions
that II is free and kept within the
sane bounds or libel and treason
as Is the private citizen It's Grim
nations and determinations neutral
ize each other. while the perusinr
OF them perhaps furnishes the
great reading public a wholesome
mental stimulus and ar excellent
educative opportunity for exercising
individual Judgment in separating
the true from the false and thus
reaching a correct conclusion"
TWO DIVORCE SUITS
CHARGING that his wife habituaIIy
-.~Fn~srF n -rr Frr,. f.r- 1.,-....I, 81. d