Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-01-01

We learn irom the columns of our city co.
temporarios that suit for libel has been be-
gun against the REPUBLICAN by ]. NJ. Nor
ris, editor and proprietor OF a morning nows-
paper Of limited circulation, printed in this
city. No papers have yet tbeen served on us,
so that we do not know precisely the grounds
Of the action. We understand, however, that
this legal proceeding Is based on ccrtalr ~
des which have appeared IN this Iu..7-.
during the last two or three woe<s in rgIef
once TO certain alleged swindllng and Wa
dler In South Carolina.
The spectacle Of one newspaper suing 400.
Other for libel Is one OF the remarkable ru1
funny incidents connected with this case, r.
which we wish particularly 70 comment u
morning. We do not object to libel suit y 0
h'rehai several Of them since the foundatio
p .H"m B.. .HLgAs, asd 'c are dad to he In Il
PoaGfnu 90 aru I6s- BH fa.r NUsys ,oesn
y!1llrW"i. a.l a-.. " sLo publie; but by the
courts. 1t has beon our fortune, In the dis
charge Of our duty to the people, to expose
and hold up TO public scorn and ridicule a
good many frauds and lmpostors. For in.
stance, there was the man Flnney. Fin.
ney thought that we had taken away his
character, and went Into the courts 20 find
It. The courts told him that he had no char
acter 10 lose, and shrew him aud his suit out
without cent of damages. Mr.. McGarra-
han, in like manner, sought pecuniary COM
ponsaiion from us because we discussed
his pretenslous TO the ownership OF a
quicksilver mine. McGarrahan was beaten,
as all our readers know, and the REPUBLICAN
won another victory in the cause Of truth and
justice.
Fiuney aud McGarrahau had, of course, a
perfect right to sue US. They felt aggrleyed
at the exposures we made concerning them,
and sought to apply remedy. The result
showed that we were right and that they
were wrong. We predict similar vIndlca-
ton now. The obscure newspaper that has
sued us that seeks In the courts the character
Il cannot maintain In It's columns, will be
thrown out OF the courts II II shall dare TO
enter them and expose how rotten Is the
kingdom Of Denmark. The fact that we have
been sued ls prind Jdcie evidence that we
are right In our structures. The true journal
Ist never asks the law 10 ylndicate him
against what he deems 10 be false charges, so
long as he has the control OF the columns OF
q newspaper In which TO defend himself. He
always prefers To try his case In the highest
OF all cOurts-that OF the people-and with
them rest his defence. We invited our CO.
temporary to bring his suit there, where
dulbbling and technically could not avail
him, where ho stood on perfectly equal terms
with Us, except that our audience was double
that OF his own, but he has elected not to do
80, and thereby eoniessess his own weakness.
So much for this suit, aud now for what
we suppose are the grounds on which II Is
based. Within the last twelve or fourteen
days, the State OF South Carolina, through a
committee OF the LEGISLATURE Of that State,
has unearthed a Rcouspiracy to rob and plunder
her. This committee reported that that State
was swindled out of millions and millions OF
dollars by fraudulent Oyerlssue OF bonds,
amounting In the aggregate TO six millions
three hundred and fourteen thousand dollars.
The committee charged that Scott, the Gov
srnor, and Parker, the State treasurer, were
tho principal dellnquents, aud an effort was
made 10 lmpeach them. At the very time
that these neiarlous transactions were pub
lished, the United States Senate was engaged
IN hot and angry debate on the subject Of
reform In the civil service. Wholesale charges
were made against high officers OF the Gov
ernment. Senators from their seats boldly
Declared that the Government service was
toruPt and that hundreds OF thousands OF
dollRrs were annually stolen or squandered.
We aided, as far Us ii was iu our power, to
beck the tide Of corruption, and 10 drive
~ OF tho Republican party the dishonest
NnoA-gbo arc proylng upon lt, and dragging
Il down ~ ruin. The swlndllng, Of which
|rhs State of South Carolina has unfortunate
N 5oIu The theatre came up for oOnsldera-
Aou and comment. Aud, In common with
Nading journals like the Tribune, We de-
and believe to be guilty. In the discharge OF
Als dutywe asserted, and We stand prepared