Concerted action by the press on this and other matters was desired. The Bee appeared to cooperate with the movement to organize the newspapers and their editors and publishers into a state association and to mete out severe punishment to libelers. The Bee signed the call for a newspaper organization and, together with the other signers, published it. The signers were the Bee and the Standard of Portland, the Salem Record, the Astorian, the Hillsboro Independent, the McMinnville Reporter, the Harrisburg Nucleus, the Corvallis Gazette, The Dalles Inland Empire, the Oregon City Enterprise, and the New Tacoma (Washington Territory) Herald.
The legislature was already in session in Salem, and there was no trouble getting a large attendance of editors and publishers for the organization meeting. The State Press Association was organized early in the month, and the meetings, rather sketchily covered in the press, appear to have continued for at least two weeks. The organization committee was made up of A. Noltner of the Standard, W. H. Odell of the Statesman, J. H. Turner of the East Oregonian. Directors elected were J. H. Turner, Mart V. Brown, Albany, retiring state printer; D. C. Ireland of the Astorian, A. Noltner, and S. A. Clarke of the Willamette Farmer, formerly of the Oregonian and the Statesman. Brown was elected president, Turner secretary, Odell corresponding secretary.
Other matters besides the libel laws were handled, but these will not be touched on here. Regarding the libel laws, the association passed, unanimously except for the vote of J. G. Chapman of the Bee (who immediately announced withdrawal of his paper from the association) a resolution introduced by Mr. Clarke making severer the laws governing libel in Oregon.
The resolution read: "Whereas, the journalism of a state is an index of its culture, intelligence, and morality, and should be the conservator of true principles and correct action, and not the vehicle of unlicensed and unprincipled prejudice and slander; therefore,
"Resolved, that the press association present to the honor able the legislative assembly of this state, now in session, that in our opinion it is advisable that efficient legislation shall be had that shall define the responsibilities of public journalists and offer a check to undue license and that spirit of defamation sometimes prevalent and which is always to be deplored as an injury to social progress as well as to individual rights. We desire the press should be held sharply responsible for any undue transgression against private rights and the sacred ties of family."
Mr. Clarke's motion that a committee of three be appointed to draft a bill in consonance with the resolution was passed. On the com-
