Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-02
LIBEL HERE AND ABROAD,

bury had given Peters 30 TO promote
meeting of workingmen in Trafalgar
Square. On the trial Lord Salisbury
testified that his Secretary had sent
&25 to the Dock Laborers' Association to
provide free breakfast for the starving
poor, but denied that he had given any
aid to promote the workingmen's meetings
that were held prior to the Trafalgar
Square riots. Peters testified that he had
never received any money from Lord Sal
isbury for any purpose. Bradlaugh de-
Tended on the ground that his statement
was privileged; being overruled, he ex-
pressed regret that he had made the charge
against Lord Salisbury; nevertheless a
verdict was rendered on the 18th instant
against the defendant for $500
1t is thus again exemplifed to how much
stricter accountability one is held for libel
in England than in our own country.
While here it is only with the utmost DIFF
tieulty that a verdict can be secured against
ibeler, in England the laws against de-
famation Of character are rigidly enforced,
and, as result, there is no such indulg-
ence in libelous utterances or publiea-
lions as in this country The law and the
practice here are exceedingly lax, and the
sensational newspaper takes very little
concern about the defamation it utters. II
assails character with amazing reckless
ness, and seldom, if ever, does it pause to
contemplate the pain its libel and false
hood infict, or the irreparable injury done
by its careless trifling with reputation 1t
takes the chances" of its victims being
able or courageous enough to pursue their
remedies in the Court, and Of an American
jury being sufficiently bold to hold against
the libeler. If victim now and then
does take up the legal cudgels and the
Gbeler is mulcted in damages, the loss is
cast into the expense account, and consid-
cred as Offset to the instances in which ac-
lions were not brought.
This system is thoroughly demoralizing
and most so to journalism it lowers
the tone Of the press, lessons its influence
as factor of civilization and leads the
public to look upon all its statements with
suspicion where any personality whatever
is involved. The vice of the license seized
upon by the lawless and libeling press in
promotion Of its sensationalism must
have an end Society will not
always endure it, or make the
liberty of the press forever shield for reck-
less and unproyoked assaults upon char
acter. The decent press itself viii pres
emily be compelled in the interests of self
preservation to cast its influence in favor
of greater rigors of law, and the cultiva-
ton of more courageous disposition
among the people in resistance to the out
RACES Of sensational sheets.
A signal instance of the shamelessness
of the sensational system has just been
brought to public notice in San Francisco.
To give opportunity for display of vulgar
wit, and to enable the paper to cater to
the taste for the scandalous, daily jour
nal noted for its sensationalism and its
pandering to low tastes, published and
illustrated a sensational story concerning a
gentleman whose resentment caused the
reckless journal on the succeeding day to
crawl at his feet and beg for mercy. 1t
retracts its SANDER, beseeches his clemeney,
and confesses itself to have been as vilely
guilty thing as he may see fit to term it.
1t viii not be overlooked by thinking
public, however, that in all such cases
the scandalous publication by sensational
sheets is in line with the policy of the
paper, and that the only distinction be-
tween the one case of retraction and hun
dreds of others in which it does not con-
fess its mendacity, is that in one instance
the victim has courage equal to his rights,
and in others the injured suffer and are
silent.
In yesterdays dispatches another in
stance of reckless publishing was related.
Sensational journals had printed the
statement and commented upon it to his
injury, that Rev. DR.. Talmage, a pro-
nounced total abstinence advocate, had
set out four kinds of wine at a recent en-
tertainment given by him to officers of the
Thirteenth Regiment. 1t would have been
a matter of ease for the New York journals
to have ascertained whether the story that
came to them was true Talmage and
many of the officers present at the enter
tainment lived scarce riae-shot from the
offices of the papers, yet it does not appear
to have occurred to any of the publishers
to make inquiry as to the truth of the
story. The libel was published regardless
of its truth and because it was sensational,
assailed character, and damaged reputa-
ton with nonchalance and utter I'M
as to the injury it might do its
victim by holding him up to view as a
hypocrite. As matter of fact, said Dr. |
Talmage from his pulpit on Sunday, there |
was not q word of truth in the story. 1t |
was cruel and purposeful lie. He offers
a thousand dollars reward for the produc- |
ton of any evidence, no matter how slight,
to show that he rendered wine to his guests.
or that solitary drop was in the house. |
The American press of the reckless order. |
if it continues to indulge in such cruel |
and mean devices to gain notoriety will |
hasten the day when more severe laws of
libel viii be passed, and their enforcement
will go to the other extreme, that of re- |
the liberty of the press.
THE EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION.
The work of the local committees in pre-
narinc for the National Fducstional Gov