FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND OF THE PRESS. By this is understood the essential right embodied in liberty of speaking and publishing the truth with good motives and for justifiable ends, in regard to the actions of the government, of officials, or individuals. The different bills of rights in State constitutions contain provisions along the same lines as those contained in the First Amendmtlint of the Federal Constitution that no law shall be made "abridging the free dom of speech or of the press.) This preserves an important feature of personal liberty long recognized in the constitution of England and maintained in the United States where in fact liberty in speaking and publishing one's opinions is subject to even fewer restrictions than in Englind. These constitutional provisions, how ever, do not imply that liberty of speech and publication shall be free from responsibility and not subject to regulation. Improper speech and publication can incur both civil and criminal liability as determined by general law in the protection of property, person and reputation. These regulations and restrictions comprise: (1) Civil liability to damages for injuries caused by slander, that is, the speaking of false and malicious words concerning another re sulting in injury to his business or reputation; (2) both civil and criminal liability for libel, which is thepublication by writing or printing of matter calculated to injure the business of another or his character by bringing him into ridicule, hatred or contempt, under circum stances rendering such publication unjustifiable and without lawful excuse; (3) criminal pun ishment for the speaking or publishing of blasphemous, obscene, indecent or scandalous matter. Damages may be recovered in a civil
suit for libelous statements made maliciously or without proper occasion to the injury of an other. The truth of the statements may be pleaded as justification for a complete defense; but unless their truth is established, defamatory words spoken or written are presumed to be false, and they are also presumed to be malicious unless the occasion of their being spoken or published is such as to render them privileged.