San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-15

REFORM THE LIBEL LAW.

Now, before the assembling of the
state Legislature, the press of Texas
seems to be of one mind in demand
ing change in the present libel law
which is virtually a bid to the black
mailer to raid the newspaper offices of
the state and certainly operates to
prevent calm and dispassionate yet
just criticism of public affairs. 1t is
impossible to criticise many official
actions without rejecting upon the
character of the officers criticised, be-
cause acts and character are in so
many cases inseparable, and yet the
libel law of this state is in the way of
even that much criticism. New York
papers as we'll as the Texas journals
are agitating libel law III the inter-
ests of legitimate journalism, and such
demand should be needed by state
Legislators everywhere. Only legiti-
mate journalism asks protection. The
press of Texas does not demand q law
that Will shield the invader of private
character, or the blackmailer, or the
man who would prostitute the press
to purposes of personal spite and re-
venge, but it does demand law that
will save an innocent and fair
minded publisher from the fangs of
the libel sharp whenever he attempts
to pass just criticism upon public
character for violation of law, or for
disgraceful acts which bring the pub
lie service into disrepute.
The Herald advocates criminal pre-
secution for libel only doing away
with civil damages as calculated to
end in evil and only evil, the idea
being that civil damages are the root
of the whole evil. This view of the
case is not fully conincided in by other
journalists and yet there is much to
commend it, The press associations
of this and other states have given no
little thoughtful study to this subject,
but Texas has not arrived at any con-
clusiOn, her efforts to formulate q
law through press committee hav-
Jug so far proved abortive.
The Philadelphia Times cites the
libel law of that state as substantial
ly offering all the protection that any
honest publisher requires. The Penn
sylvania law denies suit if the matter
complained of is proper subject for
general information and the publica-
ton has not been made maliciously
or negligently, and this regardless of
the truth or falsity of the matter pub
lished. The Times approves the sug-
gestion of the New York Herald that
the action should be confined to the
effective utterer of the otfens ive mat
ter, be he correspondent, editor or
reporter.
The evil grows in this state and a
remedy is demanded. If, however,
the newspaper fraternity themselves
cannot agree upon law it will hard
ly be expected that the present legis-
lature any more than the last one will
be able to present a perfect remedy
for existing evils, but vast improve
ment might be made upon the present
law and almost any change would be
for the better.
THE LIGHT some days since re-
ceived from the hand of the author,
the we'll known alderman and writer
of this city, J. N. Gallagher, copy of
his new work, LET Ter go Gala
CHER" No notice was made of the
courtesy at the time, the LIGHT re-
viewer intending as soon as practical
BILE to carefully review the work.
The convenient season had not ar
rived owing to a rush of work on the
holiday edition, when a second copy
direct from the hands of the publish
ers, Rhodes & Mcclure, of Chicago,
comes to hand. This book, from the
glimpses afforded by a hasty glance,
will be found to the full as entertain
ing as Timothy Winebruiser of which
it is a revision, the crudities of the
former being eliminated. Author
and publishers will please accept
thanks.