The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-17

enough lOT country communities with
out their daring TO question the lordl,
coadosceusion which onacts tho farce
" before them.
=, Tho day hiss passed when Tn,
press or the public will swallos
- in silence or tolerate with patiene,
such reflections on their tastes ant
Judgments. The former class arc nov
= too ably edited, and tho latter are toa
d vig'lant and exacting TO DO mlsled by
+ sensationslsm, affected by maliciou
T. impositi0ns, or disnayed and deferred
a from applying merited r0buke. Tit
. logic Of tho article Is akin to tina
A reasoning Of the middle ages which
= reasoned from "the nature of heat tr
. the treatment Of . fever" ana syllogls.
| tically proved that "the planets can
have no independent motion, because
tho heavens are lncOrruptiolo and ma.
tuFo abh0rs q vacuum" The Nops
could, under its own statement have
, done better, lit held tho deck, and no is
, a bungling gameEtor who cannot win
whom he shuflles and stocks the cards
his own way.
The News, Furthermore, has done the
press u wrong, by injuring tho pros
poet OF hopod-ior change in tho libel
law by Juggling Archaeological into its
own troubles az q species OF Maacotto,
by thus covorily counting and soeking
the sympathy Of its oonfrores whilst,
Ike tho willy, limplng quail, IL dlverts
attraction from tho most whore lies tho
game. Like tho Israoltes in tholr
bs,tlo with the PHiistlnss, 10 would
presumpEousiy bring down into the
bat Ito the sacred ark gs a means of ob
tanning victory, though tho conso-
quoucus of thu PROCLAMATION might DO
tho capture Of the ark. Accustomed To
ayitiatod and spoiled appetite through
tho nnXlous sweetness of undisoerning
praise, over strangely ovor-rated
power, IL cannot divart itsof OF the
ideSthatia tho court oforlticism itisail
potent behind tho gauze OF tho voilod
prophet,
Az tho News article was cautiously
drafted, and az tho paperseoms greatly
10 admire It's own reasonlngs, it will be
but gonteol to lot i.spoas for ITSELF 1t
says:
"The state land board, composed OF
all the elective state executive officers.
has, by formal resolution, recognig d
that the law Of libol OF Texas stands
tquaroly In tho way Of a free press In
its duty Of exposing official miscon-
duct or any official wrong doing. II.
has formally addressed to the News a
declaration In which this paper Ii as
sured that the board valves It's rights
W certain extent under the libel law,
| IL that Is not what the resolution
means, IL Ia than merely \ piece OF
ohtentatiogs aud empty brayadn, an
absurd theatrical parade OF indiEnR-
ton and defiance, II tho News had
not the right TO do legally what tho
board Invites IL TO do, then tho board,
by ita ronuneistion OF legal rights,
recognizes that the law obslructs OK
posture of official misconduct. So hero
the hvo hieheat executive officials IN
the state declare officially and person.
ally TO the world that the law of libel
In Texas Ia restraint upon q free
presa,"
And here isproclsoly what tho land
board resolution said:
WHEREAS, There has recently np
pBar6d IN tho Galveston News tho l5l.
lowing: Hero tho article from the
News was inserted, and whereas,
charges and insinuations OF miscon-
duct and corruption are clearly made
in said publication against membern
OF the State land board, and facts aud
names ar0 omitted under tho protoxt
that tho editors arc afraid OF tho consa.
quonces uuder the present libel law,
now, therefore, be Ii
Resolved, by tho state land board,
John ireland, II. X. Lubbock, w, u,
Walsh, and John ID. rempleton, being
present and participating In these pro.
ceedinss, that we hereby fully and
com pletely exoneratO, Acquit, release
and hold harmless from ali palms, aud
penalties, suits, costs, prosecutions,
DANGERS and liabilities, said Calves.
ton NewsfOr or on account ofauythiuR
it may pubish touching any member
OF this BOARD, In the manag, mont OF
the landed Affairs In this State, pro
Vlded II establishes tho truth OF such |
publication.
II Ibis Is IA declara ton official and
personal that the law OF libel In Texas
Is restraint upon u free press" or
that "thst law stands squaroly In the |
way Of FREQ press In its
duty of exposing official mlscon-
duct or any Official wrong doing
We fall to comprehend language. The
land board simply say to the Nows In
substance; "Slnco you choose 10 80
oonstrue the law, wo waive any and |
all, the romotest possibility OF the COR
reotness OF your construction or any |
legal consequences upon you, pro.
vided you establish tho truth OF what
you assert" IL refralns from any con.
struchon whatever about tho libol Law |
beyond that. To say otherwise IL n
pure, gratultous arbitor dictum
on the part OF the News, n species OF |
legerdemain logic. II thors ls thus in |
tho land boards resolution declara-
ton that "the law OF libel In Texas is
a restraint upon free prose- b lyond
papers solf.contered fear, we yield.
Bus again. tho land bhard say; The
News charges misconduct aud cor.
ruption against TIA msmbera." But
the News says; NOV, no far rs the
members Of tho board are concorea In
their official capacity, had thoro been
evidence of their participation know
iusiy In fraudulent or corrupt prac-
slices, tho law oilibel would not stand
In tho way OF the News in giving the
evidences 10 tho worlt." The board