Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1594. Freedom.

Manawatu Herald, 16 June 1894, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1594. Freedom.

-> If you clony it, let tin danger li<rht Upon your charter, and your city's freedom. — Mirrliniit of Venice. Whkx the present political party gained ascendancy during the groat social upheaval, there was very much said about freedom, and the glorious heritage of liberty. It appears a pity that these expressions seized upon at that time to serve a purpose, .should have been forgotten by the Ministry daring their occupancy of office, and if not forgotten so unceremoniously set aside as to permit ' them to do things totally opposed to the whole spirit of freedom, as laid down by far better men than themselves. How paltry the boycott upon the Press of this colony is, how harmful it is to the best interests of ! the party who has introduced it, and how spitefully paltry. Can it be possible that Ministers connected with the Press approve of such actions, even- though for ..a few months it may add some extra [pounds to the profit of thejr ventures ? If these Ministers do not approve of it how is it that the boycott has been put in force ? The miserable part of the bungle seems to us to be in the fact that in the minds of the leaders of the present political party in power, a newspaper which will not praise them must be quashed if possible, at any rate, damaged The admission is one of great weakness on the part of the Government. The Press apparently cannot be bought to praise, and it is now to be seen if thoy can be forced to do so. Neither action will succeed, but much unfairness will be experienced whilst the Government is learning the lesson. Has it ever struck the Government in what an unenviable position they have placed those papers who had previously supported them? The appearance of a Government advertisement in. its columns will now immediately guide its readers to the political view taken in its leader columns, and of what value will its expression be, tinged as it must be with the j suspicion that the advertisements may have a good deal in influencing the views expressed. Government

advertisements are like ordinary advertisements, given for publicity, and have no more right to be given to suit the views of the Government ov to reward party supporters. We are only a small paper, but a small power in the land, yet it appears to us that the Press should end and mend this miserable degradation put upon it by a most summary proceeding, and reverse the boycott by refusing to insert Government advertisements until distributed in an impartial manner, thus relieving all papers from a liability of being thought able to be " got at." This should be a subject worthy of consideration by the institute of Journalists, as undoubtedly the affront pai' 1 to journalists of the colo^ j g a "? serin"- -•-- We have said the view of freedom has been laid down by far better men than the present Ministry; alid no\V proceed to quote two instances : — Thomas Jefferson, in his Inaugural Address, said : Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever stats or persuasion, religious or political ; peace, commerce, and honest friendship, with all nations,— entangling alliances \v/iii>none ; the support of the State Government in all their rights, as the Most Competent administrations for our domestic concerns, and the surest bulwarks against anti republican tendencies; the preservation of a General Go-vermm-nt in its whole constitutional vigour, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad; . . . . freedom of religion ; freedom of the Press ; freedom of person under the protection of Habeas Corpus ; and trial by juries impartially,—these principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. Locke, in the Human Understanding, says : — " In this then consists freedom, viz., in our being able to act or not to act, according as we choose or will."