Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-02-26
EDITORS CONVENE.
The Quill Drivers of Wisconsin I'm Annu
al Session.

on the evening of the 18th, with pro-
gramme of literary exercises, and a ball.
About fifty editors were present. Ar
mory hail was crowded with large au-
dience when S. B. Smith, chairman of
the local committee, called to order, and
introduced j. B. Doe, Jr., who, in be-
half of Mayor st. John, gave an elo-
quent address of welcome, which was
responded to by Mark II. Barnum, of
the Wausau Torch of Liberty. Presi-
dent Price delivered his annual ad-
dress. Mrs. j. B. Day recited very eff
tectively Cartoons poem, Making an
Editor Outen of Him." and Ellis Il.
Usher read paper on ''The Editorial
Page as 1t Is and as it Ought to Be-"
Two quartettes Of ladies and gentlemen
respectively gave mum Der of songs.
AT the close of tbs literary programme
the hall was cleared for dancing. A
large number of GAINESVILLE citizens par
ticipated, and a delightful social event
followed.
At the morning session on Wednes-
day there were a number of discussions
that were interesting as showing the
bent of the editorial mind on matters
affecting the editorial interest. The
first discussion grew out of a paper by
Secretary Coon, of the Edgerton Report
er, on the question whether it is expe-
dent for newspapers to patroniZe ad-
vertising ANIMALS, Mr.. Coon taking the
negative. In the discussion which en-
sued Gov. Hoard made sugges-
ton that an advertisers union
be formed by the publishers
of the state, which union shall, through
one agent, represent the publishers in
place of the advertising agencies. The
result WAS that President Price finally
appointed q committee to consider the
advisabillty of forming such union,
the committee to report at later date
in the present session, and to be COM
posed of t. K. Dunn, of the
Elroy Tribune; Gov. Hoard, of
Hoard's Dairyman; Geo. w. Peck,
of Peck's sun; M. Ii. Barnum,
of the Wausau Torch, and II.
2. Rindlaub, of the Platteville Witness.
All of these gentlemen, and others, par
ticipated in the talk on the subject. The
majority of the speakers said they had
long refused to advertise In the ANIMALS
that they were delusion and q snare,
intended for and actually accom- lishing
the purpose of swindling the unsophisti-
Gated country publisher, who, though he
may boast Of his independence under
ordinary circumstances, qualls beneath
the autocratlc arrogance OF the edyer-
Using agency.
II. L. Sharp, of the Delavan Enter
prise, sent regrets at his inability to re-
cover from the grip sufficiently to be
present; and along with his regrets sent
a paper which reviewed the action of
the Wisconsin Legislature at its last
session regarding proposed changes in
the law OF libel. K. ID. Coe read the
paper, which was provo cative of q
lively discussion, in which Gov. Hoard
led off with declaration of his
idea that no newspaper editor
should have more protection than pri-
vate individual; that the present law
contains all that IS necessary to the
proper and just protection of the editor,
and that if he violates the sanctity
of mans private life, or if
he publishes a libel, he should
be held to a strict accountability
tor his language. After remarks by
E. E. Hurlbut, of the Oconomowoc
Free Press, John L. Bennett, judge OF
the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, was called
upon TO give statement of the law of
libel. The law, he said, presumes
malice in the publication of libel. but
the defendant can always submit the
truth in evidence. In mitigation of the
libel it can be shown, if that be the TACT.
that the Hbelous article was copied
from another paper in the belief that
1t was the truth, and was published at
secondhand without malicious pur-
pose. Another mitigation may DC q
retraction. made in good Iaith, immedi-
ately after the publication. Judge Ben
nett said he did not understand that
the presumption of guilt is different in
libel suits than in other criminal cases.
The law Of innocence until guilt is prov
en- is universal, and every reasonable
doubt of guilt must be removed before a
conviction can be made. When the
charge made against the individual in
the alleged libelous publication is prov
en- to be true, the charge of malice is at
once raised.
was to have led discussion on discrim-
ination Ill insurance rates against print
ing Offices. In his absence, II. L. Fon-
tame, of the Grand Rapids Reporter,
led. The rates giveE In the different
cities represented were given, but 40
action was taken toward remedying the
classification OF printing offices as extra
hazardous insurance risks.
At the close of the morning, session
the GAINESVILLE fire department gave an
exhibition, followed by parade of
thoroughbred horses.
At the afternoon session e. D. Coe
read an outline history or The various
meetings of the Press Association since
its organization in 1857. At that first
meeting, which be said was reported to
have been inspired by Brick Pome.
roy, complete schedule of prices on
Job work was agreed to, each member
binding himself to abide by those prices
Mr.. Coe gave the names of the Off
GERS, the dates and places of meeting
and the excursion routes selected each
year, and gave a number Of incidents Of
the meetings and CT the early member
in an interesting way. His paper was
deemed so valuable that he was imme-
diately given the title of historian of the
association, with authority to elaborate
it for publication in separate pamphlet
form.
The correlatiye topics, ''How to Make
the Country WeeKlies What They Ought
TO Be" and "How to Run Daily Paper
in Proper Shape" appeared upon the
programme. the leaders of discussion oil
country journalism being city news
paper men, and vice vera. James w
Scott, of the Chicago Herald, gave a
pointed talk on various ideas sug-
gested by the comparative merits oil