, 1864-06-07
THAT LIBEL SUIT.
i Grldlrou Fr1u1e-Nhat the Sasae1ous At.
eelman Proposes to Do and Get-What
lie Hust Expect.

The recent arrest Of the proprIetors 4nd editors
ot the TRIBUNE for an ALLEGED libel upon SONG.
what nototiors dandy who has the good Or Ill for.
time to represent the Third Ward In the Common
Council, sometimes called Lawyer Roberts, bur
batter known a. Gridiron Roborts, from his con.
ncet1on with tho Wabaeh Gridiron Railway. a
swindling concern that attempted to cheat the
citizens Of Chicago out o! the nse of the streets of
the city,-a corporat!on that smell 80 foully In the
nostrls Of thls and eresy other decent community,
that Dick fatsa took 1t in his hands and It
as be wouid m ecR sheu.-is tole,at1y well under.
stood here and elsewhere Roberts snd bis friends
hsd been worsted In political encounter eud
qnte Unexpectedly nndlng hfmse1rand themselves
1p hopeless minority. and tho bottom Of ali their
liceJ laid schemes Of plpnde9 knocked out, caused
he a1eet Of portion Of the TR1rrSE editorial
= enoke that should conceal ihc defeat tdey have
sustained in their nice 1lttle eamea ut wont do
ny dears-" The Ta1Csx IL not to be intiu1id.ted
coppe7bead, whether n he Council o. opt Of 1! Il
II Grt61ron Roberts th.nks be cxu be nolsv. bia-
tsnt, Me.io1s "a coppeIbeaa, and nnibnsser tn the
tiIe. and te happy. he's Histaken coppetaead-
The article upon which this ssperseention IL
Tn1BrsE Of May 31s's and vas, what II proposed
~ ty- rinply sn account or conversation With 4
ths,d y ps.ty: II i, d. Dr.. Van Haren was report
ty Roberte: and that The document presented %
A!dtfms n uottinEer. the latter reeosu1zeu a. Nj.
Alderman Roberts hand writing, These state.
E1eots. ts we made them, were undoubtedly trua ):
that :s Dr.. Van usfen did eaT that Aldernar
Roberts cent him 10 make the oveEturea, aud Al
deEmaD HottfpEer did cay that he recognized the
document ne written By Roberts. Whether Dr.
Esn Eafen spoke the truth or not, or whether
Alderman Hotttpger WIS mistaken us to the VII
tel Of the document, are questions not neeessafv
70 discuss At this time Roberts says that Van
11aren did not speak truthiu11y. and that Hott,n-
Ct1fWas mistaken. Now, we submit that, hearing
these ftatcmC&', It wns our duty al public jour.
nAlists to puhiieb them. 1t wns = communication
which may be- considered ae one Of those known
III law rs pHv1le;1y dconmunieasioae.' There
was higu moral duty resting upon
rs to give to the world this Statement
and We should hsvy been recusant to great prln-
C1p'e II We had not done SO. II the doughty and
dn1cal Alderman thinks that he c1u occupy the Do-
eiton be does. and not have his public scts scrn.
d1iZed and commented upon, ha Is greatly de-
ceived. II m4n makes himself notorious b7 his
npfey advocacy Of any line OF policy, he must eT-
pert 10 be talked about, The windy, ambitions
Roberts must learn to h1r1en his epldermis OF be
wall Continually hnd himself in hos water It Ia
onr opinion, and It 3s IN opinion strengthened by
conversation with many Of bis political friends ii
the Council. that be Is making fool Of himself in
shue Supplying to the Courts 10 gratlfY little per
eonal malice. The Court OF Char.eY Mcdonnell Ia
not the Court In which to patch up damaged rep
Itation. We hAve no ide2 that any Grand jury
will ever md bill acanet tbs editors Of the Tai
ErNx for the publication OF the sr1cle complatned
Of or that II fhey do Jurv will arer conrJct