Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-12-12
lancaster .9ntelligenrer.

laa,caster 9ntelligenrer.
TUESDAY EVENING DEC. IA. 1854,
The " Merald's" Experience in Law.
The next thing to be reformed in this
reforming day seems to be the newspa-
pcrs. There has long been a strong feel
ing prevalent that their license should
be checked. Public sentiment is as pro
nounced against it AS it has been against
corruption in office but it has not been
operative. 1t has awaited the time
when its heat should break out into
an effective blaze. We should not
wonder if that time was here. A jury
in the United States court in New York
has awarded one Malloy, of Edgefeld,
South Carolina, a verdict for S2O,OOo
damages against James Gordon Bennett
for a false statement telegraphed to the
Herald from that town that Malloy had
been guilty of incendiarism. or course,
there was no actual malice in this pub
lication, nor did Mr.. Bennett him.
self know anything of it; as he
was in Europe at the time, and,
if he had not been, it is well
known that he does not supervise the
matter that appears in the Herald.
The item was printed as a matter OF
news, and the malice that dictated 1t
was that of the correspondent only; yet
the Jury mulcted the Herald in heavy
sum, and we believe the sentiment OF
the community is that it was righte"usly
done. The jury and the people base
their judgment upon the conviction that
editors are entirely too careless as 70
the truth of the matters they publish.
They will print anything that appears
to be an interesting matter OF news, re-
gardless as to its truth or propriety'
The publication for which the Herald
proprietor was punished, containing as
it did reflection upon private charac
ter, should have been authenticated, as
to that part of the statement at least,
before being printed. If the editor
did not know his correspondent
he should not have shOuldered
the responsibility for his statement
The appeal which Mr.. Benefits coun'
sci propose to take against the severity
ofthe verdict will probably he Ineffective
1t is a bad time for newspapers to appeal
to public sympathy for relief against
their own wrongdoing. They have beer
so active in pillorying the other evil
doers in the community that they cannot
gracefully lament when they are hustled
up to the stocks. 1t is our own strong
opinion, although We stand in daily
danger of tripping ourselves, that there
are newspaper editors in this country
and not few of them nor very far away
who deserve to be tied to the whipping
post very often, because of theil
lying statements and their impuden
intrusions upon the privacy of citizens
These are generally enterprising jour
nalists, so called, who conceive the sol
object of their business is to mak'
money, and that to do it best, spicy par
agraphs must be printed, even thougl
they be false or improper like the thief
they are often without money, and ar
regardless of the propriety of the mean
of getting the circulation which is thei
wealth.
Judge Wylie, ir the Star Route trials
has had occasion to note the libelOu
character Of the publication in some o
the newspapers concerning the men ant
things connected with the trial. Tn
chief offenders have been the distric
Journals, under the control of the defend
ants, but in a minor way, many Othe
Journals fall under the lash of condem
nation for careless, untruthful and ma
liciOus publications.. Public sentimen
is lipe for the suppression of the evil
What the people need and want is Il re
liable statement of the news of the da
and an honest comment on men an
things, that avoids impertinent intrusion
into private life. Anything more tha
this they do not need even though man
of them want it they should not hav
more and the newspapers that offer
cannot complain if the profit they obtai
by seeking to satisfy an improper cur
osity is taken from them in heavy dam
ages to satisfy lawful demand.
THE combined Republican vote cas-
Cor Skoxrort and Roouor Cor no,,or.,n