New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-30
to be deliberately unfair but we think no
Monld have been wiser to publish the Whole,

TO be deliberately unfair; but we think no
would have been wiser to publish the whole
This. however. is of very little consequence.
The question of Mr.. Fields professional con-
duct towards tho Erie Ring is of great deal
II is useless TO deny that his position as the
nri,cinol counsel of Messrs. Gould and FISK
has exposed him to great deal OF unIavo'-
ctlo criticism. and that the structures OF Mr.
Dovles have been considered just py men VI
all professions, including the profession OF the
law. What hope, il IL asked, nave we VI 10
forming the bench, when one OF the most eiih-
nent and respected members OF the OAR rs uio
foremost advocate of the very measures "n W,
have brought the bench into DISGRACE iio
ovonple of Mr. Field, if il Is Dhd eA"nil'|
viii 90 much further to demoIail1o tio '''''n
merry of Justice than the rulings OF b'l'i"i"
and Cartlozo; and il is just as wen TIA. ''lo
common criticism has been reduced 10 lorlh
cnd subnitted for examination. We are hot
satisfied with the debate so lar ~ 10 h''S
conc-and il has gone az far as 1t Is Likely TO
90 with advantage Mr.. Bowlcs takes an un-
tcnable position when he declares that -
Z" LAWYER is responsible for the character Of his
"clieptsr-that is to say, that lawyer may
not conscicntiously appear for bad man-alid
Mr.. Field having rcfutcd this, makes no at
tempt to pursue the matter any further. Mr.
Bovles only hints at the real strength Of his
case when he says that a counsel is.also re
"suonsihe for the character Of the Sa'iS'
which he undertakes. The shame Of The New
York bar, in common estimation, Is not that
eminent lawyers ere willing TO appear for
rou6 ard swindler or to defend
a band of conspratoTs accused ol
gobbcry and breach of trust; the charge against
Nr. Field is that he has made himself the
agent OF defending fraud and outrage by ne
climate means, distorting The processes OF
law, and turning the courts to intamy. The
scandal OF Erie litigation is ro' 50 much The
Injustice of The cause rs HE dishonest arts by
which il is believed the cause has been sup
ported. lIr. BONlcs has alluded to this bdt
only inclentally and IA lie has not chosen to
io;n Issue on it, Mr.. Field Of course has con-
tented himself with an incidental denial. in
fact the marrow Of The controversy has not
been reached at all.
Mr.. Field attempts m absurd limitation Of
the duties Of journalism hut be is entirely
rieht in his protest against the unwaTantabic
and indcccn. license which has Of late seemed
spreading among newspapers and in this we
are glad TO know that Mr. Bo"les quite
agrees with him. We heartily hope TO see
the whole attitude of the respectable press
towards libel suits and the laws against libel
changed. Speaking not merely for THE TRIB-
I-NF, but as we believe, for all the more con-
siderate Journals, we hope to sec the day
when every clear case Of malicious libel
mqy I've easily and rcmcrselcs''y pros
ecutcd to conviction and severe pun
ishmcnt. The influence and consider
alton OF the press in Now-Yorl; would to-
day be UNNECESSARILY greater if within the
last year a score of unmi5takable and malicious
libcls. out Of the hundreds which have been
printed, had been prosecuted, punished IN
damages of from ten TO one hundred thousand
dollars each, and these damages inexora-
bly collected, even at the risk of stop
ping the papers. We want no immu-
nity for printing libels, and we would be glad
to see driven out Of existence every journal that
does want it. We are all liable to errors and
may unwittingly publish the gross,st SANDERS
on the best OF men. We try to avoid this,
and whenever we can see that we have done
injustice we arc glad to make the prOmptest
correction. Whoever, after that, would pros
ecute for libel, is a fool for his pains who
ever, being refused that, pr0sccutes for libel,
ought 10 succeed and ought to have the
heartiest encouragement from all that part of
the Press which respects Itself and deserves the
respect Of the public.