Press Privileges

F'HILADBPHIA Juno 13 - Tha fifth annuui conventiun of the International Loague oí Presa olubs met in the old council ohambar in IndepBntlence hall and will be In session four days. Pen and pencil wielders from all ttao leading presa clubs from Matne to California are in attendance Rrcsolutions were introdueed having for thelr object the making privileged of information obtained by newspaper men so that they cannot be required to teil in court where they obtaln the information upon which they ba6e charges against citizen3 or officials. ActioD Taken In the Matter. These resolution9 were among the flrst things attended to at the second session of the convention. They were called up by General Felix Angu3, of the Baltimore American. General Angus said that the subject was of great importance, the "digmty of the press having been insultad again and again." In the age of eleotncity in which we live and in which news is so rapidly multiplied he thoughtthere was a desire to belittle the newspaper profession. "We come," said he, "to protest against insulta to our profession, to the toilers and workers," and then he related the hiatory of the cases of John S. Shriver, of the New York Mail anti Express, and E J. Edwards, of The Press of this city, who published the sugar trust information that. led to their summons before the United State senate committee. General Angus said that the presa sometimes takes a poor boy and by its power makes him a judge, yet he turns on those who elevated him. The press, should be privileged as to lts información the same as the law, the pulpit, and medicine Laws Deinanded lor Frotection. Joel Cook, of this city, said that the matter was the one weakness of the profeEsion and comes from the fact that ït is younger than the professions mentioned. He believed that the preas had power to have lawg recognizing the sacredness of the confldence between the giver of information and the newspaper man. A resolution waa then offered by Charles Emory Smith, of the Philadelphia Press, and after earnest and feeling speeoh-making was adopted. It read: "That the International League of Press Clubs urges all press clubs, members of the league, to appoint committees to secure from the legislatures of the various states in which such league olubs are located the adoption of laws to protect newspaper men in preserving inviolato confldential information communicated to them in the ordinary course of their duties. " Smith's Tribute to the foung Men. Following the readiug of the resolution Smith said: "I want to speak as a proprietor and chief. We are especially intercsted in the adoption of this policy, beuause we believe It paculiarly due tothe activo working members of the profesión. If in the past I have correctly observed the young men abouo me, such as those here, there is not one wortby member inthar proíession whojwould notrather rot in jfiil than betray his confidence." Tremendou? applause greeted this tribute, and Smit-h followed it up by expressinsr the belief that newspaper men were more carefui in their coniidences than the average mnn in public Ufe