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Show FREEDOM OF THE FRE2S j A decision recently rendared by the Supreme Court of New York will have a far reaching influence upon the freedom of the press. The Buffalo Evening News published matter which the counsel of that city alleged annoyed a:id harrassed certain officials. The city counsel moved for an ord-r directing editors of the paper to appear and answer regarding i rlicles concerning certain conditions of the city. Justice Marcus refused the writ, saying: "I am strongly impressed im-pressed with the view that it would be unwise to heckle and annoy the press. If every article sul-jected them to an examination that would harass and annoy them, whenever the subject matter was unpleasant by way of criticism of officials, the public would lose much, even recognizing the license oftenlimc used. The press is not to be denied the right of criticizing public officials. offi-cials. A community can have no better security than a newspaper which watches the acts of public officers and holds them strictly accountable for all they clo. The newspapers guard our liberties and protect our pocket-books. pocket-books. The public owes them a great deal and the courts, interpreting inter-preting the Constitution, do well to recog-ii.e this fact. |