Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-04-13
n Doubtful Decision.

made a dec sion that will not prove very
acceptable to the politicians. An editor
sued man who was candidate for
Office, and after the election refused to
pay for the complimentary notices
which had been given him during the
campaign. IL WAS admitted that the
complimentary editorials were not or
drred by the candidate. but the court
held that u political paper is expected
To do its utmost in furlhering the inter.
ests of its candidates, and that in return
the parties so served are bound to pay
the editor for his labor. This il new
departure in political finance which, if
generally enforced, would work hard
on the defeated candidate.--Ncto Era.
In commenting on the above extract
the Lancaster iaff'igrHcrr sRys: In the
absence of the text ot this alleged de.
cision. we are 10th to believe that any
enlightened court in this common.
wealth has pronounced n Judgment so
utterly AZ variance with every legal and
common sense principle ns that which
is here nscrbcd To- the iudicatory in
which Judges Orvis ana Mayor are
arbters Of the law. 1t Il well establish.
- N''thh 'AhfA'HN +" lA'tttf"'H ~ t'A'f7'1 ~
implied, no obligation TO pay can bee
contracted by the voluntary act Of one
party to the pssumci contract and that
party the oblieee. II the candidate for
Office can be held liable to pay Tor "com,
plImentary editorials inserted in a
newspaper without his order, the same
principles which sustain this view Of
the Law will compel business men to
pay for complimentary notices Of their
Interests inserted IN newspapers with.
out their direction. Ol course the su.
preme court would promptly reverse
any such absurd judgment Of the Centre
county court or any other.
The above extract is taken from the
columns of the Jidtciman and if the
Uatehman has given proper credit it
was taken originally from the Lancas-
ter NcG Era aud the Lancaster In.
teiiigeHccr.
The Lancaster papers should quit
meddling with our courts and credit.
Ing them with decisions, never made,
or else inform themselves properly and
then give the truth to the public. No
excuse can be given by the Watch.
man for repeating the ignorance of the
Lancaster papers except that its edi-
tor in chief has n dislike for Judges
and Lawyers.
The editor OF the Uiatchman was n
witness in the case on the part of the
plaintiff, heard all of the testimony,
and so far as We know, the arguments
Of counsel and the charge of the court.
The court decided nothing, the case
involved a question of fact, which was
fairly submitted to the jury and found
by the jury for the plaintiff
The Nc1r Era says "An editor sued
uan who was a candidate for office
and after the election refused to pay
for the complimentary notices which
had been given him during the cam
paign." This statement is incorrect,
because the editor did not sue to en-.
force payment for complimentary no.
tices given, but he did sue to receive
pay for the printing of tickets for that
particular candidate.
The editor of the IFaichman testified
when Oh the witness stand that he al.
ways charged the candidate for the
printing of tickets, that the charge was
regulated according to the value and
dignity of the office. That he charg.
ed candidate for Prothonoiary, Leg.
islature or Sheriff more than a Com
missioner or District Attorney, because
the office is worth more that his charg-
es we're at the rate of three dollars per
thousand; that he printed the tickets
upon the order of the Chairman of the
Democratic County Committe, without
being directed to do so by the candi.
date, and charged the candidate with
the printing of the tickets" One or
two other newspaper men testified to
substantially the same thing.
The plaintiff in this case had print
ed tickets for this candidate, under
this custom. The Watchman and the
Millheim journal printed tickets for
this same candidate, under this same
custom, exactly, and the candidate tes.
tilted In the case that he had paid to
these papers the charges they had made
for that services And in the face of
this refused to pay the editor who had
brought suit to secure pay for printing