Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-07-05
THE LIBEL LAW.
Some Particulars of the Great
Speech I Did Not Deliver.

The Michigan Press Association have
just visited Dertoit and, think. have
had a first-rate time. They are the
shrewdest body of men that have ever
met They came here to have good
time, and they were resolved that there
was going to be nothing to mar their
pleasure. Thus it was that | did not
get a chance to fire off the great speech
that | had earthly prepared for the
occasion.
1t was suggested to me, as | had q
great admiration for some of the laws
of the province of Ontario, that would
make a-speech to the association on the
Ontario law of libel. bit at this sug.
gestiOn with only too great avidity,
quite forgetting that it takes at least
two to make a speech successful, the
other fellow being the listener | was
on hand early with huge volume oil
the Revised Statutes of Ontario under
my arm, but for the first while there
was other business to transact, and
there seemed to be no chance to work
off my speech, let it be known pretty
thoroughly throughout the convention
that | was loaded for bear and had a
great speech prepared and there. | now
believe, | made a mistake. put the
association on their guard. Another
time when | appeared in the hall they
adjourned and went to the Island Park.
Again, with the big book still under
my arm, approached the platform and
tried to catch the Presidents eye. but
some one moved that they go to the
House of Correction, and they went. !
admit that looking at this matter in
the light of after events. [ might have
known that folks who preferred term
in the House Of Correction to listening
to speech from me, perhaps did not
want to hear me at all. but did not
know as much last week as | do to-
day.
The day that the subject of libel
actually came up was on hand, of
course, but the moment they saw the
huge bulk of the Revised Statutes some
one hastily moved an adjournment,
which was hastily adopted and | was
left again. 1t began to dawn on me
about this time that it was one thing to
prepare a speech and quite another to
get to deliver it. The last day of the
session the big book and myself were
early on hand. | planted-or per-
haps | should say we planted ourselves
right in front of the presiding officcr
SO that if he did not notice me,-pne
would at least notice the book | rose
after every speaker until at last
the President was compelled to take
some action. He said:
There is gentleman here who de-
sires to address you on the subject of
the libel law" CDense silence. during
which l moved to the platform. Il
thought IL best. perhaps. that this
speech should be postponed until the
afternoon session, as we have a good
deal of business to get through with
this forenoon" [Great applause. "An
in favor of postponing this discourse
until this afternoon. make it manifest bv
saying aye. Storm of ayes. Con
trary mo-" deep silence The
ayes have it..
Well, there was nothing for me to
do under those circumstances. so [
went and did it. had lunch. looked
over my speech again and went
back to the hall. For an hour I sat
on the platform entirely alone. then
thought of sending down for the jani-
tor to see if he would not consent to lis
ten TO me, but at that moment the ianitor
himself appeared.
Are You waiting for any body??" he
asked.
Yes, Tn waiting for the Press AS
ISOLATION"
20. they won't be here again. They
moved that the afternoon session be
abandoned so that they would be sure
not to miss the boat"
The boat? What boat?"
20, they're all going to Star Island
at $50. You'll have to hurry if you re
going. The boat leaves in few
minutes. They're going to have big
dinner there tonight and lots of
speeches"
Speeches.! That settled me. Doubt
less they would be looking for me at
the banquet and would be left. re-
solved not to disappoint them if rum
ming would do it. So. Selling the
big volume ofRevised Statutes, Irushed
for the boat.
"How about this speech9r said to
the President.
20. you're here" he replied with
a touch of surprise in his voice. well.
| don't know Just how we'll fix that. 1t
was proposed that we get the associa-
ton together in the parlors of the
boat and then / guess you could ad-
dress them"
This wasn't bad idea, but as the
boat progressed and the weather be-
came finer and finer and the band
played tune after tune, it soon was evil
dent that the people would rather stay
out and look at the scenery and talk to
each other than listen to one of the