The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-05-16
THE RIGHTS OF THE PRESS

Speaking to the recent convention Oh tii'
American Newspaper Publishers Assocla
ton, Granville Clark made a substantial
contribution to the discussion of the abov'
named subject. Quotations from Mr.
Clark's address are worthy of the close
attention of our readers. We quote iron
the speech:
American liberty, Us ! conceive, should be used
to express the same concepts as the phrase 1.-The
liberties OF the subject in England, whence our
basic rights historically derive
few of these rights of the citizen have been
deemed so vital that by constitutional prohbi-
ton they have been placed beyond infringement
by any government, even though chosen by q
free majority of the people. These include the
rights guaranteed by the first eight amendments
of the Federal Constitution, including freedom
of conscience, of speech and of the press, of as
sembly and petition and the right to fair hearing
or trial before one is deprived of his life or OF
his normal privilege to stay out of Jail or of his
property.
But this is not the whole. There are two other
meanings to- the liberty of the British subject
and of the American citizen that are of no less
Importance, but have received less attention and
must now receive more.
Another requirement of civil liberty is the
existence in a healthy condition of democratic
self-government, system under which a ma
jority of the people, really and not nominaly,
freely and not under coercion or bribery by in
dividuals or corporations or by the government
itself, choose those who are to make and exc
cute the laws and under which the legislative
executive and judicial branches exercise their
proper functions without domination of the
others. =.
Then there is a third essential Ingredient
the maintenance not only in theory, but in prac-
tive, of the ''reign of law" :. D."
These three aspects of civil liberty are, of
course, interrelelated. Yet it eonduces to clear
thinking to view them separately and then to
realize that liberty depends upon the eoexistence
of these three elements, and safety of the little
group of fundamental rights that are constitu-
tionally safeguarded, the healthy existence of
democratic government and the prevalence of a
spirit of fair play between government and the
Citizen ! repeat that all these things are essen
tial to the maintenance of true civil liberty.
They will all in the long run stand or fall to-
gather. --t'-. .-.
SNOW i can put my question more coneretely:
W nat can the newspaper press most eHectlVey
do at this time to safeguard our enumerated
constitutional rights, to maintain democratic
government in q vigorous condition and support
the great principle of fair play that J. call the
reign of law'?" ,.. .:-.- '...
81 will answer my own question by saying that
the two most definite and vital things that the
press can do now for civil liberty are: First to
stand up for freedom of discussion and criti-
cism not only in the press itself, but through all
other mediums of expression; and second, to re-
SYST abuse of official power from whatever source
or direction that abuse may come
In respect of all the elements of civil liberty
that | have mentioned, one thing can be said
with confidence: they are all dependent on the
continuous free flow of public criticism and dis
cussion, what President Roosevelt recently re-
ferred to as a "free exchange of views" Here,
then, lies the first and plain duty to see to it that
all the channels of public information and dis.
eussion remain or shall become free ~
The two fundamentals stressed by Mr.
Clark may be reiterated here for the at
tention Of readers-the obligation of tn
press not only to maintain freedom of ex
preston in the journalistic field but to us
all the power it can command to maintain
freedom of speech and discussion as
right of individuals and all classes of cit
gems; and to resist abuse of official power
1t should be clearly understood by thi
time, in the experience of mankind, tina
when freedom of the press is destroyed
freedom of all the people is destroyed
The destruction of freedom of the pres
always precedes the establishment of die
tatorial, despotic powers over govern
ments, countries and the population as
whole. '''-. WI
. The press must stand for freedom @