Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-30

ganized newspaper Is victimized as
sorely as the Dallas Herald was, in
publishing the special telegram from
Waxahachie, announcing the elope-
ment of respectable young lady of
that place with negro. The case is
perhaps unparalleled in the history of
Texas journalism. That 1t was
canard--cIuel, coarse and wanton-was
speedily established, and now, we sup
pose, unless all precedent is to be re-
versed, will come the usual suit for
libel, damages from the Herald, for
thousands of dollars. Right now, and
in this case, is fitting time to insist
that there shall be new departure in
the application of this law of libel,
which seems to have been devised for
the express purpose of bleeding news
paper publishers. The author of this
lying dispatch to the Herald can Ger.
tainly be found; and when found why
not make an example of him, instead
of mulcting the Herald? Everyone at
all familiar with the workings of u
newspaper establishment need not be
told how completely the publisher Is at
the mercy of the constituencies or
laundering correspondent and reporter.
1t is high time the boot shall go on the
other foot-let the correspondent pay
the just penalty of his act. The young
! Lac At W. 10
are no doubt greatly and justly ag-
grieved. Which will most soothe their
wounded feelings-a good round sum
of money from the Herald, or to see
the author Of the telegram behind
prison bars, where he ought to pe?
The character and standing of the
Herald absolutely preclude the theory
that 1t had malicious intent or design
in publishing the dispatch; every con-
sideration of a sound business policy
prompted the suppression of the news,
If known or suspected to be untrue.
No ordinarily intelligent jury, in any
Texas county, can be induced to be-
lieve that the Herald knowingly gave
publicity to an outrageous SANDER.
The cold truth is that the Herald hiss
been victimizea and treated scarcely
less badly than the young lady her.
self. A journal like the Herald has, il
must be remembered, reputation and
prestige to maintain. When human
wisdom attains perfection the newspa
y per will be secure from lying, rockies.
. and irresponsible correspondents, ant
C not before. We submit that the news
paper has suffered long enough for tn,
sins of its newsgatherers; let the courts
+, now begin to apply the axe at the roo
:. of the evil and punish the originator
:. of ISLANDERS, rather than the innocent
>, vehicle thereof. Where it can b,
:. shown that the paper Is an intelligen
# participant in the offense, then Their
a should be no mercy or conformation fo
Il tue Journal let 1t have full punish
n ment. But we do know that il
, ninety-nine out of every one hun
20 dred cases like this one of the Her
ID AIDS, the newspaper is an accessar,
no only by virtue of circumstances. 1t i
n as innocent, morally and legally, O
90 sin as the man who, purely by acct
n. dent, is unfortunate enough to injur,
NJ his fellow-man in life or limb. w
al hope the Herald will succeed in Ind
n, ing the author of the dispatch from
~ Waxahachie. His oflense was das
,r tardly sin and he should have the limi
ID of the law as to punishment. But |
;s Is time to call halt to the practice G
an making the paper the scapegoat of th
10 real wrong-doer. What has befalle
re the Herald is likely, some time, I
of come to any other publisher, and til
mo- press as whole has Tor certainl
ID should have) an active earnest intey
he est In the outcome of this case. LIE
sh the wanton liar who has 1t In hi
IN power to do harm for brief while b
he taught that there is day of reckonin
=, for him.