The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27

The suit for libel against our contem-
| porary, the Times, which was terminated q
day or two since by a verdict for the plain
tiff, recalls attention to a subject Of some
interest to the public, but of more interest
to the press. The disproportion in this
case between the damages claimed and the
damages awarded conveys an instructive
lesson to the bringers of such suits. The
plaintiff, Colonel Keitt of South Carolina,
set out to recover fifty thousand dollars,
and the jury gave him-six cents Colonel
Keitt seems to be man of character
and honor, who was misled by some
of his friends, and perhaps also by
his own impulsive temper. His expert
ence in this matter is Of some value to him,
and should be of greater value to men,
totally unlike him, who institute libel suits
against newspapers, not to vindicate their
character or to express their resentment,
but only as a matchmaking dodge
The insignifcance of the damages recov-
cred by Colonel Keitt should not mortify
him, considering the handsome and even
magnanimous treatment which he received
from the Times on the morning after the
verdict. The justice done him and
the not undeserved compliments paid
him by our respectable contemporary are
Evidently they were not extorted, for
after the substantial failure of his suit the
Times might safely have expressed feeling
of insolent and annoying triumph. We
believe that our contemporary has only
done now what it would willingly have
done at the outset if it could have followed
its own impulses without seeming to yield
to a menace. We believe that there is no
journal of standing in this city which would
not promptly repair any injustice that
might be done to individuals in its col
umns on proofs that it had been misin-
formed, presented without any accompani-
ment of threats.
No respectable newspaper traduces pri-
vate character except by inadvertence or
misinformation, and for its own sake as
well as for the sake OF the person injured
every respectable journal cheerfully makes
the dmende honorable as soon as it is con-
WINGED that it has fallen into an error
The law of libel perhaps needs some
slight amendment SO far as it relates to the
public press. A perfectly equitable law
would exempt the press from damages for
truthful statements published in the exer-
else of its ordinary functions A member
ofCongress on the floor ora lawyer speaking
in court frequently makes libellous state
ments, and yet is not subject to prosecution,
l. H.,
of his duties. great deal of the news
necessarily printed by the press touches
the character of individuals. and the press
ought not to be punished for things which
are incidental to the ordinary discharge of
its duties if the publication is made in good
faith and without malice. Still, We have
little complaint to make Of the existing law
of libel when it is administered in spirit
of equity. 1t would be insufferable for the
press to destroy private character with I'M
punity. But in cases where it promptly
corrects errors of inadvertence or where
injurious truth is printed without malice,
there is no justice in awarding damages,
and it is satisfactory to know that upright
courts and honest juries are moro and
more inclined to take this equitable view
Of the subject.
The greater portion Of libel suits against
the press are instigated by shysters for the
purpose Of extorting blackmail 1t is ex-
pected that a newspaper will consent to pay
few hundred dollars to save itself the
trouble of o lawsuit and if the trick does
not succeed the suits are seldom brought to
trial. 1t is the duty of the press to with
stand all such blackmailing operations.
never consenting to be bought of, but re-
lying on the justice of courts and juries.
Nominal damages of six cents do not en-
courage this species of litigation.
A Useless nvestigati0n.