Press Gagging

Matt Carpenter's project for hiding from the people the rascalities practiced at Washington, is eminently worthy of his general reputation. He proposes to pester newspaper correspondents by arrest, to harass them by prosecution, and to make life aB much a bnrden as possible to any newspaper man who happens to be "down on" a Senator or Kepresentative. In point of faot, however, it is for the interest of the people to enlarge, lather than restrict, the prerogatives of Washington journalists, botb. resident and those acting as correspondents. The newspaper fraternity are very proporly called the Fourth Estáte. They stand between the politicians and the people. In the long run they are certain to serve the people, because their patronage comes from the people. Instead of restricting their liberty it ought to be enlarged. They should be as free to write as Congressmen are to talk, and it ought to be províded that no correspondent shall be liable to process in Washington for criticismB written upon publio men or measures, unless it can be shown that his opinions were purchased or were the result of personal spite. The way for Gongressmen to avoid strictures is to behave themsehes. They fear censure siniply because they know they deserve censure. The best of them are not infallible, and they all, in turn, merit more or less rebuke, and require more or less advice. This business is the office of the newspapers acting for the people, and Matt Carpenter will never be able to gag the Washington correspondents, no matter how desirable such a feat might be to his personal reputation.