The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-28
Mr.. Fisk,s Suit for Libel Against Mr. BowIes

From, the ". Y Times.
The public is already familiar with the cir
cumstances under which Mr.. Samuel Bowles
editor of the Springfield Republican, was ar
rested at the Fifth Avenue Hotel few days
since at the suit or Jas. Fisk, Jr, for alleged
libel contained in his published comments on
Fisk's action as director of the Erie Railroad.
In the mere fact of the arrest there was
nothing remarkable, nor are we aware that in
SO planning it as to deprive Mr.. Bowles of the
opportunity to procure bail at once, either Mr..
Fisk, or the public officers who evidently
acted as his tools in carrying the plan into
operation, did anything which they had not
legal right to do. Judge McCunn had a right
to issue his order of arrest; Sheriff 0'Brien
had a right to refuse to take bail or do busi-
ness after office hours; his deputies had
right to act Just as little like men of common
sense and decency as his instructions and
their natural inclinations might require; and
the jailor had right to refuse to permit Mr..
Bowles to see any of his friends who might
call 10 aid him, or even to send note to his
counsel or his wife.
These officials, we presume, had a perfect
right to act just as coarsely and as basely
as they did act; and no one who knows them
will doubt that, in any case where gentle
man of character and position, belonging to
the Republican party, like Mr.. Bowles, is con-
cerned, they would act at least as basely as
the law would allow.
In public point of view the case has little
importance. Mr.. Fisk has right to his suit
for libel, and will be heartily welcome to all
he will make out of it. Mr.. BoRlss is none
the worse in person, character, or i'll his feel
ipgs, we presume, for having spent one night
in Ludlow Street JAIL all he suffered from was
the extortion of the jaior, who charged him
$3.50 for his nights lodging. Nor are we at
all disposed to treat the case as an instance of
judicial tyranny-to dignity Judge McCunn's
order of arrest by speaking OF it as like the
old French LettreS de cachet, mere caprice of
arbitrary power, OF to raise cry of alarm for
personal liberty, as though we were all in
danger OF losing it, at any moment, at any
body's whim. ALI this is nonsense, and not
very alarming nonsense, at that.
The whole proceeding is OF interest mainly
! as an episode and illustration Of official man
ners in this city, of the class of men who are
in high Office and with the power to browbeat,
insult, and bully decent people which goes
! with it, and of their readiness to use that
| power to its full extent and in the most offen-
sive manner, whenever an adequate motive
| exists for doing so.
| 1t is interesting, also as showing the differ
| ence between a quiet, unassuming, we'll
behaved gentleman and Mr.. James Fisk, Jr.,
| upon whose person our eyes have never had
the felicity TO rest, so far as we are aware, and
of whom we know nothing whatever, except
what we, in common with the public, have
learned from his conduct in the Erie Railroad
scandals, and from his treatment of Mr.
| BoWles in this libel suit and arrest. But 1t is
not necessary to eat the whole OF cheese IL
order to test its quality, nor to be familiar
with the whole of Mr.. Fisk's life TO Judge o
his general character. A single act will decide
whether a man is a knave or a man of honor
as well as lifetime; and II is generally recog
nized as a sound rule in business matters tC