The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-01-22
4 NEW Law Or LIDnL.

ANEW Law o. LIDnG..
The action Of the recent Wisconsin Edito> |
rial Coursstion win nd eo6 - las II
Kbsl, ~ sssars5~ s11sSlalts - saussisa ~
the press and Of thinking men throughout
the country. The points, which the Conven-
ton asked should b established BY the new
law, are: lst, That proceedings Of public
meetings, like proceedings in courts, shall be
pririleeed matter, and IN responsibility for
libels occurring in correct reports shall rest
exclusively upon the persons uttering them
Ind, That in eli cases where the verdict does
not exceed costs Of court the plaintiff shall
paw taxable costa and reasonable attorneys
fee; Sd, That the jury shall find for defends
ant II Asy shall believs that tho matter com
planned Of was pnbliahed in good faith for :
good purpose, without malice, and upon
reasonable presumption Of its truth-prori,
ded that the court may, u is discretion, re-
quire defendant TO publish statement OF the
facts a ascertained at the trial.
Auexchange says Of these proposed pro-
visioas> These amendments esnbody
changes in the law which have become ne
cessary for the public interest and for the
protection Of an independent and useful jour
nalssm. AZ to the first point, iss necessity
has become so manifest that select commits
tee Of the House Of Commons has reported .
bill to relieve publishers from all RESPONSE
bility for libellous matter occurring in the pro-
ceedings of fmeetinss correctly reported.
And the third states in very nearly the LAM
guage of the charge delivered to the jury BY
the Lord Chief Justice in tbs case Of Hunter
VS.. Sharp, the principle which onght to con-
troll, not the verdict Of jsries, not the ruling
of courts, but the shaping of the law itself.
As to the second point. the necessity Of some
protection against svindling suits originating
in personal or political hatred, has become
apparent in every part Of the country; and
though the provision that defeated plaintiff
shall pay to the defendant d reasonable 1T
torney's fee in addition to costs ia novel, il is
NO more than just"
Connecticut has a law on this subject,
drawn up BY m editor. which works admire
bly,. II provides that to maintain his suit IN
any case, the plaintiff shall prove either ma
licious intent, or culpable reekessness and
disregard of truth, and If be fails the verdict
shall be for the defendant with costs.
Laws can be nothing more than regulative
herein. We haven't much faith in the mul-
tiplication of laws 40 . means of preventing
sin. Indeed, the world is, year by year,
coming to feel with the old Apostle, that but
for the law there would be no sin. They
know that the greatest good-that peace and
order, and safety and well-being mus.
come to society, not from the com
pulsion Of Law, bu. from the compulsion
of virtue. There has been marked i'm
provement in the spirit and tone of the news
paper press of America in the last half CEN
fury; the improvement has been greatest II
recent Yeas. The condact Of political can
vases is much better. Papers for the most
abuse, coarseness, and misrepresentation, as
formerly. We think the changeis due, not
nearly SO much to tho surveillance of law, as
to the increased better education and right
culture of our people. And for redress OF
most exiting wrongs We must look TO the fu-
sure and vrtuous progress. But laws can
be made the ally OF virtue to effect the right
education of q people. As the years go on
there will be fewer and fewer of either plain
tits or defendants in libel suits.
This Twelfth General Assembly could well
give its attention TO the law OF libel in this
State. Within short time the Hack Eye
and the SKATE Register have been sued for IL
bel; in each case the suit was clearly to make
political capital. The law of Iowa should
prevent the bringing Of such suits save At The
plaintiff s expense. The whole subject can
be safely trusted to our Legislature. In the
House are lawyers like Kasson, McNu.t,
Judge Cotton and Judge Wilson, and editors
like John p. Irish in the Senate are expe-
sieaced lawyers and Legislators like Woolson,
Donneu and Cattei aud editors like Sena-
tor Walden and Lieutenant Governo, John
Ecott; to their, consideration the revision OF
the law Of Libel can safely be entrusted. 1t
would doubtless be well enough for the pres
emit Legislature TO give the subject that con-
sideration.