Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-18
THREE GIVE VIEWS
ON FREE PRESS
Senator Vandenberg Hits Re-
striction in Address Be-
fore Editors.

Three views of the freedom of the
press were presented today to the Amer
lean Society of Newspaper Editors in
convention here.
Senator Vandenberg OF Michigan,
himself a former editor, told the con-
ference that a throttled press was a
prophesy Of democracy's disintegration
Justice Ernest I. Edgecomb of the
Supreme Court of New York said the
courts could not interfere with the legi-
innate sphere of newspapers.
Joseph Hostetler, an attorney of
Cleveland, told the society the press
was in danger only from the newspapers
themselves, and that its liberty ended
where license begins. Hostetler, who
defended the famous Cleveland Press
contempt case, described the case and
declared the public at lerEn does not
look on a Judge sitting in his own case
as a good sportsman.
Question of Immunity.
1.-THE public doesn't believe in a man
sitting in his own law suit" Hostetler
said. IT don't know how a judge can
immunize his own feelings. The people
are just as much for freedom of the
press today as when the Constitution
was drawn"
Liberty is purchasable only at the
price of eternal vigilance, Hostetler said,
urging that the editors watch every
move intended to take away liberty of
the press. He told the association that
its members should not consult a law
yer when they intended to write articles.
More editorial emotion has been
stifed by lawyers than by any other
means" he said. Call your lawyer
after you have published your article"
Senator Vandenberg, in urging the
passage of his bill to restrict the power
of Judge to cite person for contempt
and then try the case, asserted that a
throttled press Is a prophecy OF de-
mocracy's disintegration.
The bill, now before the Senate jul
dietary committee, would give a person
cited for contempt the right to have
the case heard by another judge II the
contempt arises from an attack upon
the character of the conduct Of the
Judge who brings the action.
x.
referred to the recent action against
editors of the Cleveland press, in which
the decision of a judge who convicted
them of contempt was set aside by a
higher court
Discussing the action of courts in
citing persons for contempt and then
Sitting in judgment, the Senator said:
Mingled powers are the formula for
tyranny Powers thus mingle when the
same judge acts first as complainant,
then as an umpire, in proceeding
which primarily involves his own per-
sonal status and his own personal feel
ings as differentiated from the status
and authority of his court"
Importance of Criticism.
Justice Edgecomb said he knew Of no
reason why a judge was immune from
criticism any more than any other
Official, asserting that he could con-
ceive of nothing so conducive to max
ing a public official arrogant and over
bearing as the knowledge that he would
never be called to account for his
conduct
He told the editors that all censor
ship of the press was prohibited by the
Constitution, but said that they must
admit that some publishers have so
far overstepped the bounds of decency,
and have so fiagrantly abused the privi-
leges granted them by the fundamental
law of the land, that it is not surpris-
ing that some sort of remedial legisla-
ton is frequently suggested"
Attempts to curb the press through
the courts were deplored by Marlen
Pew, editor of Editor and Publisher,
in an address before the society yes
terday afternoon. Pew reviewed efforts
of certain financial interests to control
newspapers in widely scattered sections
Of the country and of efforts Of some
interests to spread propaganda through
use Of the press. The first. he said, had
been exposed. and of the second class
Of press agents he said:
With cash to burn, the power agents
made poor showing. They did much
Dragging in letters and to each other.
but the net stuff they got printed
wouldn't influence anything"
Pew also warned the editors against
Shrewd press agents. He said he had
been told that more than $25, 900 900
of newspaper advertising is given away
annually by grafters of editorial space. !"