The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1952-10-02
RIPPING
of the Rivers
Continued from page -

4O14AACos ~ w
formed, they must have un-
shackled sources of information.
And. so, National Newspaper
Week is a period belonging
equally to you and your news
Individual freedom would per-
ish if freedom of the press
should die.
And - short of the worst -
in Just that degree in which
sources of useful information
are Wilfully dammed-up by sell
fish or spiteful interests, just
so is individual liberty imper-
lied.
Freedom of information is
being assailed throughout the
world.
witness the almost complete
blackout in Russia and its sat
elites.
witness the suppression and
c~onfiscation of La PrenSa" In
Argentina.
Witness the eXecutibe order
of the president of the United
States about a year ago author
izing civilian agencies of the
government - as distinguished
from the military - to decide
what the public should and
what it should not know about
the public business under their
direction.
Yet our people generally seem
never to pay more than casual
attention to the ever-recurrlng
acts and threats against free
dom of information.
They apparently have no
consciousness of the slow
strangulation of public infor-
nation that selfish and vindlc-
tive interests seem determined
to bring about. :
We Americans can no more
permit self-Serving interests to
chisel awav our precious rights
bit-by-bit than we can affC
to permit those rights to be
swallowed up suddenly by a
Stain or a Peron.
And the newspapers alone
can't hold the line. Our jour
nalistic freedom comes form a
consent on the part of the PEG.
pie. This consent was born OF
the public need - and desire -
and right to be Informed.
The Arrangement set up in
the Bill of Rights was a NUT.
ual obligation - the consent OF
the people implying, of course,
a clear responsibility on the
part of the press. In that sort
of partnership, each side OBJ
viouSly depends upon the other.
Therefore, however conSiclen-
tons. however ingenious and
enterprising they maye be, the
newspapers can maintain the
freedom of information all OF
us seek, only If the public boil
sters its consent with its active
support.
Having handed their news
papers a vital function to per-
form in their behalf, it is i'm
portant that Americans give all
possible help to the instruments
to which they look for the
truth.
The grass-roots authority OF
our democratic nation - the
will of the people through the
voice and action of the 1nul.
vidual - must clearly assert
its determination not in any
degree to surrender its right 10
know.
lust as orr people support
THEW Io--epf~rnarnent agencies
in keeping public order. Jul
thew project their churches and
support their ministers in the
preservation of freedom OF re-
ligion. So also must they up
hold American journalism's
hands in the determination TO
keep open the channels of pub
lie Information.
They must never forget that
freedom of Information is not
some sort of special privilege
concocted primarily for news
rauers. brit that it is the IN
strument bv which everv man
and worna1 individually may
know the facts of human at
fairs - ard thereby live intel
lipnntlv. and in freedom.
They must remember what Us
so trr1e . that those who would
cripple and destroy our free
dom Of information would, Dy
the same token. intellectually
hobble and politically-enslave
the people.
They must keep in mind with
reference to punitive and re-
strictive measures, from what
ever source they may arise, that
quite as much as the newSpap-
ers. it is the readers - ind1-
vidually and. Observation-Disclosures
rights are impaired whenever
freedom of information is OBJ
structed by any one - in any
manner - in any degree.
Newspapers make no claim to
infallibility.
They expect - even welcome
from their readers honest
disagreement and constructive
criticism.
They would be exceedingly
dull. and fall far short of their
function. if they did not arouse
controversy.
But they like to think that
expression of differences of
viewpoint serves to find the
way to reasoned action and
public welfare - not to invite
unthinking condemnation and
Gripping obstruction of an in