The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-11-14
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER IA, 1879.
uUndoubtedly recent occurrences

rUndoubtedly recent occurrences
have raised the question In a good
many minds whether man has any
rights which newspaper is bound to
respect. Two weeks ago the Addison
County Journal published low, dirty
against a respectable citi-
zen of this town. The story had been
floating about for only few days; it
came from no source apparently that
could be depended upon to back 1t up;
It had no, foundation. whatever upon
which the most inveterate gossip could
have built scandal that would stand
for moment the scrutiny of common
sense, and was evidently started by
some reckless person who cared more
about raising little excitement than
about telling the truth. If true the
story would have been most damaging
one. The person aimed at occupies
official positions in town and county
which his fellow citizens haye right
to demand shall be filled only by men
of respectability and worth. If the in
cumbent of those offices were capable
Of the conduct alleged, every decent
man in the town and county would
have right to refuse to do business
with or recognize him, and could right
Call, 1op,ap1 that ba oto, 1ouu and
out, and make way for a man who
would not dishoner and disgrace his
position. And yet the Journal, with
out waiting to investigate the story;
without taking sufficient time to allow
all the facts to come out, and without
waiting to learn if there were not two
sides TO the story, published in its ear
lest issue the most damaging version it
could devise, and fastened it upon the
person intended by illusions SO plain
that no one who read it could fail to
know who was meant. 1t did not name
him. Like contemplate towards the
publishers of that paper thought to stab
him MORALLY, and yet escape all conse-
quences by denying that there was
proof that the stab was aimed at
any particular person. The person in
jured, as a man who cared for his hon
or and good name. could not but take
the only legal course open to defend
himself against the slanderers, and
brought suit for damages.
In its last issue the Journal, amid
its ridiculous vaporings against Mr..
Knapp, still endeavored to keep up its
plan of striking at him from behind the
bush. 1t says in reference to its publ
cation of the previous week, "No names
were mentioned, but. undoubtedly
Knapp thinks that the coat fits him oil
he would not put it on. There is al
ways said to be something untold,
and we may yet be able to
bring up something new which
will be interesting reading, without re-
fsrring to some old facts which are am.
ply susceptible Of proof, and which
tend to shake confidence in mankind
generally" Now, without stopping to
refer further to the exquisite coward.
ice of all this mass of dark insiuuation,
we will simply ask, what is this "some.
thing new" which .the Journal "may
be able" to bring up, and what are
those cold facts" If they are "amply
susceptible of proof" the Journal will
be perfectly safe in stating them
plainly, and publication Of them al
this time will greatly strengthen the
case of the paper fn defending the
suit of Mr.. Knapp. The public de-
mands to know whether Mr.. Knapp is
really what the Journal insinuates him
to be. The journal publishers have
now the best opportunity they ever had
to prove themselves not to have
been liars and towards in all their past
and present course of insinuation
against his moral character. Let them
come out like men and tell what they
know against him, and not resort to
dark hints and mysterious illusions
If Mr.. Knapp is scoundrel let it be
proved by those who claim to have
proof. If he is not, if he is an honora-
bic and upright man, then the parties
who are seeking to destroy his good
name meet their just deserts when he
appeals to the law to protect him.
They will either be forced to make
good their charges, or they will have
to sneak out of them the best way they
can. This is the alternative which Mr..
Knapp's action places before the Jour-
nal publishers. We await the result
with interest. We have no doubt that
every honorable man in the county
will sympathize with him in his effort
to defend his honor and reputation.