The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-05-29
CURRENT COMMENT
Political Advertising and the Constitu-
tion.

ton.
| Mr. Hartness is quoted as saying
that he cannot see his way clear tC
paying for newspaper advertisements
under the corrupt practice acts Of
the state. Mr.. Emery is also quoted
as saying that he introduced the bill
that was finally passed for the express
purpose of preventing that sort OF
thing and therefore knows what il
| means.
With the best intentions in the
world, Mr.. Emery may have under
| taken to do something of that sort,
but if the corrupt practices law should
be actually interpreted as prohibiting
political advertising, it must clearly
| be found to be in conflict with the
18th article of the first chapter of the
| constitution, which provides:
article l3. That the people have a
right to freedom of speech, and OF
writing and publishing their senti-
ments concerning the transactions of
government and therefore the freedom
of the press ought not to be re-
strained"
Newspapers are private property,
serving public purposes. Originally,
Vermont newspapers devoted very
large amount of space to the trans
actions of Congress and the state legis-
lature. That was because corruption,
malfeasance and tyranny flourish in
the dark, and the light on doings in
high places is only effective when such
doings are publicly reported, prefer
ably and most conveniently in the
newspapers.
New England knows from old Eng
land what it meant and what it cost
to establish and maintain free press.
The tyranny of the Stuarts yielded in
time to enlightened. public informa-
ton, and down to the time of George
III, il sometimes took lot of publ
city. like the celebrated Letters of
Junius,' to accomplish public purposes.
New England and Vermont have,
therefore, been jealous of all attempts
to control or curtail the office of a
free press and of free, speech
The multiplication of newspapers
fostered and developed the news "or-
gan" often more or less directly sub
sidized, but usually honestly commit
ted to some plan Of public policy, some
party or some candidate.
Such newspapers as the London
Times. for example, are usually CON
sidered as government organs and
voice the policies and propaganda of
the government party.
Although their columns are open to
letters from this readers, the opposi-
ton party is usually compelled to
seek an opposition organ in order to
publish its Sentiments concerning the
transactions of government" and party
newspapers are the rule, rather than
the exception, in the United States as
we'll as Great Britain.
Here in Vermont, the some thing
has always prevailed more or less, so
that while the freedom of the press
has been jealonsly preserved, the man |
or the party opposing a newspapers
party or candidate or principles can !
hardly expect much of hearing, or at |
best only a limited hearing In fact, |
he can be denied hearing if the news
paper so elects and would have no re-
course but publishing newspaper or
pamphlet or leahet himself.
A candidate for governor, therefore,
If denied the columns of the news
papers. could not even get his senti
ments on the conduct of government
before the people except by the casual
methods Of correspondence, by word of
mouth or through occasional printed
ltterances. Hence the demand for and
he growth of political advertising, by 4
means OF which candidates seek, or
heir friends seek for them, to secure
/ state wide, or country wide or even
ocal hearing before all the people con-
,erned.
Until connected by judicial author.
tv. the Herald will continue to hold
his not only proper and permitted by
aw but that any attempt to infringe
hat practice would be contrary TO the
pirit and letter Of the constitution
Rutland Herald.