Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-10-16
A GROSS LIBEL ON THE BUSINESS MEN OF
 TUCSON

uon hnu proettuted the Assoclated Press to grstify selfish ends and disseminate false news, but we never thought that ssid agent could get so low as to perpe- trate so gross libel on the business men of this city as that contained in dispatch sent Thursday nighs and ap- bearing in the Tombstone papers, and we presume in the San Francisco papers of Friday morning. The dispatch reads as follows:
 TUCsoS, October l3.-A number of the leading citizens, principally business men, held a meeting last night, and con- demned In the strongest terms the un- just attack made by some of the press on the military during it's present cam paign. It was the unanimous opinion that General Wilcox and his soldiers deserve the highest commendation for the promptness with which the outbreak was met and crushed. Some of the old est citizens of the Territory were pres ent, who declared that during the time they had lived in the Territory there had been many outbreaks, and cousid- ering all the circumstances of the pres ent one, 1t has been suppressed in much less time with very much less loss of life and property than any previous out break.
 The only truthful statement contained in the above quoted dispatch is that a number of leading citizens, principally business men, held meeting last night" The balance of the dispatch Is a tissue of miserable falsehood which will make every business man blush for shame, to think that their meeting was suscepteble of any such construc- ton.
 We defend the business men of this city from any such imputation as that cast upon their integrity, their manhood and their good sense by this dispatch.
 We can not for a moment believe that q solitary business man present at that meeting would take the position ascrihed tn them in this dispatch. The facts to the contrary are too patent to every one.
 Gen. WillcoX has met and crushed no outbreak. The campaign has been miserable failure from beginning to end, and not 6 man present at that meeting assumed to deny the fact, at least not in our presence. The only crunb of endorsement the military got was the statement that affairs this time were no worse than they had been repeatedly before. And this was urged ss a reason why no good could come oi complaining. We VIII leave our reao- srs to judge how tenable such pos.- tion is
 That meeting wished it distinctly un- derstood that they did not go back upon the settlers who have been murdered in cold blood and those who have lost val able stock, some to the extent of utter ruinstion.
 They are not heartless and sordid enough for that, as they certainly would be were they capable of entertaining tLe views charged to them in this dis patch.
 The agent of the Associated Press publishes a morning paper in this city, but he did not dare to publish in his own columns the falsehoods he sends to the Associated Press who trust him as the gstherer of reliable and authentic nevs The business men of this city were left in blissful ignorance of how their characters were being defamed abroad until the dispatch returned to this city Friday evening through the medium of the Tombstone journals.
 The Daily Journal of this city, whose manager was present at the referred to, this morning pub lished the following flat denial at the head of its editorial columns:
 We take this method to deny the truth of the Associated Press dispatch sent from this city Thursday night, and which in the Tombstone papers of Friday morning, to the effect that num- Der of prominent citizens assembled and in the strongest terms the course of certain newspapers m crlticis- ing the conduct of military affairs iD this Territory. We were personally pres ent at said meeting, and do not hesitate .o say that the dispatch is an unqualified 'alsehood.
 To give our readers some idea of tue which this dispatch must bring 1pon our city and its business men, we ske the following editorial comment 1 rom the Tombstone Nugget:
 And so "a numbtE 5i sag1 leading citi- i .e en a.o 9hs hlcson condemn the course "A -.ne of the press" in criticising the l
 aduct of the present campaign. When | [ is considered that ga number of the l ,rominent citizens" of that town owe heir pecuniary success t. fat contracts | or military supplies, it is not strange l hat they should condemn criticisms l which may possibly lead to the removal # their brsss-buttOned pets.
 The above comment, severe as it is, ! would be all merited, and much more l .dded, were the business men guilty of ] and expressing the views | Iscribed to them in this dispatch.
 Steps have been taken to have the | lsnial of the truth of this false dispatch | Is widely circulated in the press of the | country as was the dispatch. That vii ountersct part. but not all the damage | he report wln do our city.
 ADDESDUM.-Sincet the above was put | n type we have been authorized to pub lsh denial Of the truth of the dispatch | bove quoted, signed by all the gentle nen who were present at the meeting. l The denial will be found elsewhere in . bus issue. The parties are justly in- ignant at the unwarrantable statements | f the Associated Press agent In this l ity. The result will be detrimental to ertain military officers in whose inter- ct the dispatch WAS evidently sent.
 GOV. FREMONT HAS RESIGNED.