The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-05-19
LIBEL AND EDITORS.
Msiisamspes, ra. prraa,a., rable

Nadaaxness Pa Breakfast Table. It is astonishing n know how many de-
 laded people there are in this world who
 think that II Is an easy matter to sue an editor and recover for libel. II sthc gen eral impression that journalists are care less oi peoples characters and will ptinl
 anything but the real t.ath is entirely the reverse of this impression. la no busi-
 ness ,s there more care exercised about matters rejecting on others. than in lonr. nalism. Editors, as general thing. have considerable common-xensc mixed into ,heir constitution. and fl the public pauses to consider n will readily gise the editor credit for being careful not to make him- selt liable ,o guilt in libel case. Quill. dtivers are fich, ef course. hu, the bcs, of them oblectto to paying out over \ GOO per week tat law suits, and you eaa hazard you, money ,hu newspaper man is as well booked on the libel laws as a great many lawyers. and he always weighs an accusing article or damaging statemen to he prln,cd hy those la~s before i, is placed into cold type In the bright lex icon of success. which fate reserves fcr d glorious journalist, there Is no such word as fa.l. aud our journalistic preccp,ot
 experience hath always cautioned us to look not upon the libel suit when |, h dangerous, because you ean'trun paper on SiooSo year and pay out s,o, cooper month in libel suits. l, IS no pleasure for the ncwspape, man to assall people, and no honorable quill-driver wlli do SO when the parties arc undesers,ng of censufe
 The journalist who insades the sancti,y ot home, protanes virtue, or in any way pcrseeuscs innocent people to further his own base ends. whether personal ot financial, or who make. his paper the sprinklng can of his own spite, deserves the heaviest penalty tha, law provides and will certainly receive from his fellow writers the condemnation that such common prostitute of journalism would merit. Where the interest. of the public are concerned, there the loarnalis, should he. ptaising, eondemning. exposing ot concealsng, ready to dcnounee the guilty or vindicate the ~tongcd. lf quack is to be denounced " q fraud to be shown up. there wc ~,il find tho journalist, with h,s impartial pen, cutting ou, the false. pruning facts from assertions. and every where exposing the truth. We repeat, ,ha, where the puhlie's interests arc con cetned. an editor ls no Icspc,ier of per sons and though wives aad ,htidicn cl, toT mercy |, is his Nteln Iinty sp sentence lust as the lnjge behind the bu The newspspcI that gees hvhind sat h | pol ley es thta. ,s controlled hY iaeef eiite,i hY coward, and x nat pahishesi ia, ,h, people whose interests f is sgFpaScd ie reprcscn, li ! man htcaks IT and aicala the ncW spapc, dare aft thiHk ot h, itienda who are dlsEftt ed. tf1ft mus print the iaets
 h ia seiieansiituted nature 1i lndge, iaty and eNesu,innet, the nes spapet may etr. Hat ,hls has always been the rsecp- ton. and at any rate maiiee is generally the las, thing established sgains, the cd. itor. \ majority of the people who winte under h,s cas,sgatians he probably never saw or knew. and Ii Is Inc height ot ab- sutd,iy ,o think tha, he would enjoy sal. isfaction rn ridicuiing ssrangeta 3, tho expense of ihe heavy penatnes and dam ages which our libel law provides for peo. pie blackmailed in print While there arc no more hospitaile people living than newspaper men, they shf.nk from enter tatning such rude guests as libel suits. which are not ,he pleasantci things in the world Hosesrs. T sensible man soon grows accustomed to them. ouf first prospective libel suit scared us so that we '!,dn', sleep fef week. Our ap- petite was bad nothing tasted good, and eveIywhcre VIC went. whether in enter talnmen,s. church, CT in our waiks, the leaves of the trees, and from the chande- hers overhead. from ~indoss. dag stones and door ways. the word lihri stared us out of counsenanee until we we're obliged to fall on the neck of a bottle and weep bitterly to the four winds. Aher reaction set in. the case worked of in good shape, and now there n nothing thai tiekles ous professional palate mofe than a good he slthy libel case, warranted pure libel. with name stamped In the bottle, and !, has got so that we ezn take a libel sui, every morning for breakfast and if t isn', on hand the whole domestic fabric feels the shock. Libel suits arc handy things for lawyers. but they generally strike In on the prosecutors and advertise the triumphant quiiI-dnver Ia long primer until everybody thinks he is big man from the bowling vista of genius, Instead of common, peaceable. faw-ieaEing cit- iren, with only one change of clothing and shs~> sva,sx sss, hss thutnh