The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-18
A Merit System
by TALCOTT POWELL.


ballot when such parry recommended the over
throw Of government by force 1t makes the
Board of Elections he judge Of whether any
political group are advocates OF violence.
Such legislation, we think, defeats its own
purpose. Ballots instead of bullets have a.
ways been the American way of bringing about
changes. If you bar any group Of citizens from
even an opportunity for political self-expreS-
sion you merely tempt violence.
incidentally. the extraordinary powers which
this bill would give to the Board o. Elec-
tons would enable the two major political
parties to perpetuate themselves forever. All
they have to do is decide that party has vio-
lent tendencies and its members can not vote
the ticket of their choice.
In its present :olm this legislation is
merely waste Of time because its provisions
are obviously unconstitutional. The danger is
that before the courts have chance to pass
on it radicals of all sorts will be using it as
a document to gain converts. The Communist
charges that we are living under a tyrannical
government in which the worker has no voice.
Do the state Senators wish to prove such a
charge by passing this bill?
WHEN the President IF the United States
W rebukeS any organization or individual,
that is news If the object of his criticism
is a newspaper there is no reason why such
newspaper should be shielded any more, for
instance than public utility.
1t is unfortunate that the Indianapolis
News placed itself in such a position in the
State-NRA controversy that Mr.. Roosevelt felt
it necessary to say that he had been the VIC
tim of extraordinary Misrepresentation"
Such incidents are detrimental to the whole
newspaper profession.
The News correspondent was accused by
the White House of two serious breaches of
journalistic ethics: First, that he nlisinter-
preted the Presidents attitude on a state
NRA; second, that he violated an agreement
of months standing that the President was
not to be quoted on pending legislation.
There is no question involved of the News
right to oppose this proposed law The Times
has not favored it in its present form although
we believe that the answer lies in co-opera-
ton between the government and the business
men rather than in silly rowing.
Newspapers are the only businesses singled
out in the Constitution for special mention.
They are granted freedom of the press. With
the grant goes a responsibility not to abuse
that freedom.
In its news columns a newspaper should
hold up an accurate mirror to contemporary
affairs 1t should lrint the facts without
twisting or coloring them. The place for COM
ment is the editorial cage and the special
signed column. NEWS paper must make
every human effort to keep its NEWS free
from the faint of the whims of its owner or
its advertisers.
No man should undertake to operate a
newspaper who is unwilling to accept this OBJ
legation, even though at times he may have to
do violence to his pocketbook, his prejudices,
his family or his friends Every experienced
newspaper man knows and accepts this as a
part of the game
After all, the sovereign people give the
press its freedom because the newspaper is ex-
pected to print the facts which people need
to know if they are to govern themselves. If
the newspapers as whsle ever begin to dis
tort facts to make them fit personal or party
prejudice then the people will abolish freedom
of the press.
That is why we believe the rebuke of Mr.
Roosevelt to the News is an extremely regret
table incident.