The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-11-16
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

There is some indication that we
may yet have raised in the United
States the issue of the "free press"
The basis of the issue is, of course, the
much discussed code for the American
newspaper under the NRA. Many
newspaper publishers have been in
sisting that there be placed in the
code clause safeguarding the right
of the editor to express his own free
opinions without interference by the
government. Some of the administra-
ton representatives helping to pro-
mulgate the code had replied that
such a clause is unnecessary because
the freedom of the press is guaran-
teed in the Constitution of the United
States.
To this has come the inevitable
reply that since things are now be-
ing done which seem to stretch some
of the provisions of the Constitution,
and if the clause of a free press is
unnecessary, it is certainly not harm
full, and that it ought, to be agreed
to. The very fact that there is some
opposition to the insertion of clause
on the subject of freedom of the
press has in itself given rise to sus-
picion, whether we'll founded or not,
that there is "nigger in the wood
pile" somewhere and that some news
paper at a date in the future might
find itself deprived of it's right to OPP
erat, if those in charge of the code
did not like the editorial policy of the
paper. Licensing of radio stations,
it is pointed out, has not had ten
dency to increase the freedom and in
dependence of the broadcasting COM
panies.
One of those predicting freedom Of
the press" as an issue in 1884 and
1886 was former Senator Watson, Of
Indiana, who declared recently in an
interview in Chicago that the question
would be whether or not the govern
ment could attempt to impose war
time regulations upon public discus
sion in time of peace.
"While the press has not been very
friendly to me at times" the former
Senator said, sin my judgment Wig
orous attempt on the part of the gov
eminent to censor editorial comment
would lead straight to revolution"
He said the depression has left the
people of America in daze and that
they are willing to try almost any
thing as an expedient, but that they
would not consent to any attempt to
abridge their right to speak out their
sincere convictions.
"At no time in the history of this
country, as see it," he said, "was an
absolutely unfettered press so indis-
pensable as right now"
He said the "talk about newspapers
being 'disloyaP and unpatriotic' at
this time is all poppycock.
He added there were times when he
felt like curbing one or two newspap-
ers, but that he had the remedy of
the libel laws if he had cared to use
them. ~
"When 1 hear people talking about
'unrestrained license of the PRESS" he
said, 81 know they are talking through
their hats. 1t is just as unlawful for
a newspaper to utter a libel as it is
for any citizen. We ought to be done
with the sophistry that criticism,
based on reasoned judgment, is libel
or an unpatriotic thing"
Senator Watson said he believed
Washington was making some griev-
GUS mistakes and that "they probably
will make some more" 's-'<.i
"And 1 propose" he added, "like
every other citizen to say what I hon.
estly think. And if l know anything
at all about the editors of this coun-
try there will be many of them
laying it on the experimenters in
Washington pretty heavily%~before
many moons" : 3
Anyhow, it can be said in passing,
that those who feared there might be
a dearth in the issues of the next cam
paign, can now cease their worrying.
The campaigns of 1884 and 1886 prom
Use to have as many issues as would
ordinarily supply half dozenncam-
naipns.