, 1877-03-04
AN INJUNCTION AGAINST LYING.

4 novel suit, involving novel principle,
hos been brought in Baltimore court by
one agent against another, the object of the
plaintiff being to obtain an injunction against
the defendant to restrain him from lying
that the defendant has been advertising the
public that his goods, which were in the
Centennial Exhibition, received more COM
mendations than any others Of the same
kind, and were held by the judges to be the
best in the country. The plaintiff, who is
rival agent, knowing that the advertise
nent was fa1se, and feeling aggrieved in his
moral sensibilities rs well as in his business
interests, has brought suit to restrain his
wicked rival from lying any longer about
his wares, and the suit, at last accounts,
was still pending, the Court bsing engaged
in searching to see if there is any injunc-
ton against lying outside Of the Decalogue.
The course which this incensed drummer
has pursued suggests two practical considera-
tons. It is, in the first place, blow aimed
at Centennial privileges. II he be SUCCESS
full, wherein lies the safety of other Centen-
nia1 exhibitors? # the defendant in this
case is not allowed to expand his Centennial
experiences fur beyond the limits Of veracity,
is not blow aimed at the very foundations
Of commercial prosperity? Where will this
thing stop? It is well-known fact that
every piano-maker in the United States, ex-
cept those who do business in the Florida
everglades or among the Pi Ute Indians, re-
ceiyed the first prize at the Centennial, and
every sewing machine maker in this dis
tracted Republic has already chronicled
in the public prints, upon his shop
windows, on travelling vans, across
rocky hi1lsides, in public conveyances,
and elsewhere, the bold announcement that
the judges awarded to his machine the palm
Of excellence. What applies to pianos and
sewing machines applies with equal force to
aPp1e-parers, baby-jumpers, beck-scratchers,
sausage machines, hen-coops, coal-scuttles,
stove~pokers, striped stockings, broom-han-
dies, end other articles Of daily use md eter-
nal beauty. BY what precedent Of authori-
ty or by what argument of reason can this
if not hypocritical, drummer
come into the courts, even in this Centen-
NAL year Of license, and disturb this COM
merclal equilibrium, cast doubt upon the !
maximum Of American industry Us |
compared with tile pauper 1abor Of the |
effete monarchies OF the Old World, and dis ]
tract the innocent and confding public witt, !
a CALLING suspicion that the skillet it is using
is not that original skillet which SCARED |
above all other skillets to the apex Of
the houseware pyramid and. received
the award Of excellence at the hunds
of the Committee on Sk1llets? If the
yreat public thinks it has the best skillet, aud
that its Centennial griadle-cakes are better
than ever before, what right has tue skillet
maker over the way to disturb the public
peace Of mind with all insinuation that the
centennial skillet-tinker lies, and he knows
IT. We want him to Ae We feel proud
That every American skillet, whether made
IN New York or Segunticook. can claim the
first prize. he is not true American citi-
:en Or conscientious son Of toll who wonld
over his skillet from the proud position in
which he has placed it, eren at the command
# courts
The suit Of this absurd drummer goes fur
her still than this. It is blow aimed at
he noble art Of lying, a malicious interfer-
nee with the dearest Of personal rights. It
covert attempt to reduce us all to a seryi1e
uhsersiency to truth, and make Life uninter- |
sting, It is dangerous conspiracy to de- +,
rade commercial values and lower that high |
lane OF the imagination whereon Ill true sales
len stand. If there is to be no lying, what
eeomes Of the DARN 6 hyperbole Of the j