Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-23

PEKsECUrIoS oP NEwsPArERs.-Tne wash
lugtOn STAR, having published item of news
that was assumed 20 Injuriously reflect upon q
certain citizen OF Washington, o libel suit was
brought and the jury have awarded a verdict Of
three thousand dollars damages The case ap-
pt ars TO have been that the newspaper bad no
intention to harm the plaintiff, and the pubIica-
ton was made through the ordinary channels of
formation. and a correction and apology were
instantly published when the facts in question
were stated Notwithstanding that there was no
ahimus in the printing of the item, and that
TIE STAR subsequently did fun justice to the
complainant, the jury found this uni ust verdict
IL - clearly a most fragrant outrage, and the
only explanation possible IL that the jury had
bnt an Anticipated conception OF the privileges
and immunitieS OF ne wspapers IL Is nothing new
that trials in our courts should furnish instances
OF how densely stupid an American jury can be-
but in the line of civil suits we know of nothing
more unwarrantable than this verdict Tag
STAR II gOipg through somewhat the same ex-
perience that The Asssricdn has had hut IN n
will fight the battle through as We did il will at
last find twelve men who don't believe that
newspapers should he made the prev of legal
shysters. We wish il success in the end.-Bditi.
more American.
The libel suit of the Amsricdn's, to which ref
eTence is made above, was based upon q publ
cation by the american regarding the course of
a man named Snyder, who was a nevsdealer on
the Baltimore train at the time of the riot at
the President street depot in 1868, when the pas
before the Pennsylvania election) we're dragged
from the cars and brutality beaten. The plaintiff.
Snyder. alleged that he had lost his situation
through the publication, and asked % 900 dam
ages Judge Dobbin in this case, did not sustain
the antiIuated doctrine that newspaper is to be
held responsible in all cases for the truth of the
publication. He held that if the conductors of
the journal believe their statement TO be true,
and &C. from the ordinary intent of Journalist
to inform the public and reform abuses, even
though the statement prove to be untrue, and
the matter charged is a crime, still the innocent
must suffer, the journalists are as
truly innocent the person against
whom the erroneous +. crime is charged.
In the case of the American he ruled that if the
statement was believed to be true and was pub
iished for the public good, it was a privileged
communication, and the plaintiff could not re-
cover. The jury, despite this charge, rendered
a verdict fer $50 damages, and the case was
appealed. ON the second trial this verdict was
reversed, and verdict rendered for the defend
ants. The AmericdH deserves the thanks of the
newspaper press OF the country Tor taking this
firm stand in defence of their rights; and all the
more because, the damages being nominal, it
would have saved money and annoyance BY
quietly accepting the first verdict
There is a well founded complaint among
business men in this District that sight drafts
are often presented to them in the afternoon or
it NAV be that the draft is merely presented at
their place of business during their absence,
and if not accepted before O'Clock p. m OF the
same day is protested. This is all wrong. The
drawee may require some hours to ascertain
Xhether the draft is one which he should honor
YDhe is not in his place of business when it is
presented it should be left for him to examine,
without compelling him-sometimes at great in
convenience-to so the bank. In New York
that course is pursued, and should be here The
New York Journal Of Commerce, excellent au-
thority on all such questions, saws .sThe
drawee OF draft has twenty-four hours after
Us presentation, during which to consider
whether or not he will accept it, This 10 his
legal privilege, and he may insist that the draft
or an exact copy of il shall be left with him
during that period Few merchants, however.
avail themselves OF this extreme Limitation. A
draft either at sight or on time, ought to be
presented before one O'Clock to secure attention
the same day. II presented after banking hours.
cpecially upon Saturday afternoon, it could not
legally be protested for non-accertance before
three O'Clock on Monday, unless the drawee in
terms refused TO acceptit."
democratic paper In New York moralizing
on "the day We celebrated yesterday sadly
says: elf Washington were here to-day he
would not find himself at home in sthe strong
central government now absorbing all powerin
the land TO which he beqseathed the priceless
blessings Of liberty" This is the sillest sort of
twaddle. I" If Washington were here to-dav.n
he "might not find himself at home;- but il
would be because the nation he helped TO found
has outgrown in population, wealth, civil ation
and all the elements of prosperity and progress
the elshes and hopes, even the widest imaoin-
ings,of himself anu his cOtemporaries. These
croakings about ruin from 'strong central gov.
eminent" would be familiar to his ears, for the
same note has been sounded through all the adj
ministrations from his to Grants. There ara
always some political dyspeptics who insist that
the country is going, i'm the language of Manti-
lini, to the "demnition bow-wows,, and vst II
is every year more prosperous. Its future NAV
he safely left TO the care OF those who have
guarded its past-the people-and Washington.
nj be were around, would no doubt be well salts.
ned with the progress 80 far made.
Some Of the Washington correspondents are
engaged in the disreputable work OF telegraph.
ing from this city unfounded statements as tn
The prevalence Of smallpox and scarlet fever
here. their sole object being to bring discredit
on the Board Of Public Works by charging that
the improvements IN progress have had a dele
ferrous effect on the health Of the community.
As an offset to these unfair and pref udiced pub
heations, we copy the following paragraph from
q dispatch to the n. Y. Journal of Commerce.
democratic from their careful and conscien-
tious correspondent wv. PC"
$50 far, this city has been wonderfully clear
OF cases OF smallpox. The Board of Health
have been vigorous in instituting safeguards.
and the result is highly gratifying. Two of our
most prominent physicians say neither of them
has had case OF smallpox or varioloid in his
list OF patients this winter. They saw in lower
poruons OF the city, among the neglected class
OF colored people, some few cases have occurred
but there Is less Of II now than there has been
AND that the wide streets and radical street inn,
provemeBts Of Washington both exert a strono
influence against the disease as an epidemic.v
The action of the republican state central
committee Of Pennsylvania, comforting on the
state convention, which meets at HARRISBURG ON
the 10th Of April the right to select district dele
gates to the republican national convention. IN
denounced by some of the county committees As
IN undue assumption of authority, and they
claim the right to elect the delegates and have
called primary meetings for that purpose. Col
forney says, in the Philadelphia Press, that
a.