Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-06-20
rERMS---$2.OO PER YEAR.
k hEE Vol. %, NO. 3.

&C.; ''warned Mr.. Tinker that he would at al
hazards support the dignity of the Senate :
"blustering examination Of the superintenden
Of the telegraph at Washington" &C, as be
ing entirely unfounded in fact. On the con
trary, cannot recall word or attitude. of tn
chairman, or any member of the committee
which was not strict ly courteous and in per
feet keeping with my estimate of the dignity o
such an honorable body.
| / regret exceedingly that circumstance
should have made it convenient for me to b,
made cat's-paw for this malevolent attacl
upon yourself and other members of the com
mittee, and / feel it duty both to myself anC
the company represent, as we'll as an i'm
peraiive act of justice due TO the committee
that | should make this explanation to you a
once.
have the honor 40 be, very respectfully
your OBJ edient servant,
CHAS. A. TINKER.
Hon. MATT. II. CARPENTER, u. S. Senator
| Mr.. CARPENTER-The dispatch
which | have requested the Secreta
ry TO read is by no means the most
infamous and outrageous which has
recently appeared in the columns Of
the New York Tribune; but | have
requested its reading because l have
been furnished, without solicitation
on my part, by the witness said to
have been bulied and abused, with
an ample refutation of every state
ment contained in that dispatch.
| Now, Mr.. President, | desire to
pause for q moment and suggest q
moral upon that dispatch, thus dis
proved by the person said to have
been abused. The correspondents of
the New York Tribune refused to an
swer pertinent questions put to them
by the committee because, as they
say, the disclosure Of their knowl-
edge would render them infamous
among the members of their profess
sion, that is, among twenty or thirty
young man in what is called news
paper row, on Fourteenth street, in
Washington. If Fourteenth street is
pretty well represented this morning
in the reporters gallery | desire to
ask them if they stand by the logical
conclusions to be deduced from all
the circumstances of this case -?
The Senate has decided that q
newspaper correspondent who refus-
es to answer proper questions shall
not be committed to Jail. And now
| take my appeal from the Senate to
the young men of Fourteenth street,
and ask them whether they indorse
the conclusions to be derived from
the circumstances of the case as they
exist. The correspondent who wrote
this dispatch which | have caused to
be read, knew it to be false in every
particular. 1t is a legal presumption
that he who states or writes anything
knows it to be true. A witness who
makes a statement on the stand
which he does not know to be true
is guilty of perjury, though the fact
may be as he states it.
Either the correspondent who
wrote this dispatch knew the facts,
in which case he was guilty of will
full misrepresentation and falsehood,
or else he knew nothing of the facts
which he pretended to relate, and
therefore was equally guilty. This
dispatch was not written for mere
amusement or exercise in compost
ton, but was designed to be spread
before the country, to SANDER and IL
bel one who had never done him the
slightest wrong. 1t was simple false
hood yes, more, it was malicious
libel. There is not in all American
literature clearer case of intention
al defamation. And the same thing
may be said Of the dispatches from
Washington which, day after day,
have filled the columns Of the Tri-
bune.
Now, | desire to ask the young
men of Fourteenth street whether
this correspondent, by writing this
wilful and malicious falsehood and
libel, rendered himself infamous in
their estimation Or is it to be I'M
derstood that, weighed by the ethics
of Fourteenth street, man is guilt
less who willfully publishes a false.
hood to the injury of another, but is
rendered infamous by swearing to
the truth 2 Among these young gen.
tlemen of Fourteenth street there arc
many disciples of the art of journalism
who, if they have the proper ambi-
ton, intend to become editors, ed
ucators of the people, and directors
of the public sentiment Of the coun-
try. | desire to ask them whether
they are so Indifferent to the distinc-
tions between right and wrong, so
utterly destitute Of conscience and
common understanding, as hereafter
to associate with the slanderer and
libeler who composed and telegraph
ed this dispatch
Mr.. President, if among these
young men the standard of morality
is so low, what is to become of this
country? Whether a free press rs to
be blessing or q curse depends up
on its observance or disregard of
truth and justice. The proper influ-
ence of the press depends upon it's
rectitude. While contending for prop
er ends, and publishing the truth, it
is, as every instrumentality OF truth,
omnipotent. But there is DO class
or profession in this life that can dis
regard the common rules of propriety
and the plainest canons of ethics and
decency and still preserve the respect
of the American people. When il
becomes to be understood, as it will
soon, if you continue in this despica.
bic disregard of truth, that the press
is mere engine of malice, dissent
mating SANDERS and faIsehood to graf
ify your personal animosities that
you combine to write a public man
up or down, not according to his
merits or dement's, but to reward
him for some favor shown to you or
punish him for some real or fancied
injury, you will forfeit the confidence
OF the public, and the press will be-
come powerless and contemplate.
The press at present yields an inn
mense influence in this country, and
those who control it are under cor
responding responsibility; and it