The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19
WAR! WAR;! WAR!!!
Two Libel Suits on Hand,

One A. d. Carpenter of Sank Center
| Press in which he charged that all Popu-
| lists were ''anarchists,' and that we were
| especially an anarchist" We regarded
! this as a serious business An "anarchist'
| is murderer, an assassin, a dynamter
| an enemy of society. 1t has been held that
| the application of such term is criminal
libel-punishable by Imprisonment in the
| penitentiary. We did not want to go to
| the trouble of putting Carpenter there.
| Instead we wrote to some friends in Sank
| Center to know what kind of a creature he
| was. This is part of the reply we received
| and which we published in our issue of
| August 30
In regard to A. D. Carpenters reputa-
| ton in the town he lives in, 1 have known
him for 20 years; he pretends to be a
| farmer, but has never done days work,
nor made honest dollar since 1 have
known him. His principal occupation is
running from house to house with a false
hood in his mouth, selling pictures or some
| worthless thing for 10 times it's value
Nearly two years of the 20 he lived in Todd
county, and when he moved away from
there the inhabitants turned out with cow
bells and horns and gave him final de-
parture."
We said:
There is much more in the letter, which
| is probably true, and 10 times worse, but
| which we do not care to publish We
are told that his sister would not let
him take part in the services at the burial
of her husband
Another letter details instances of I'M
mitigated meanness on the part of this
wretch, who has the audacity to publicly
assail myself and other men, whose shoes
he is not fit to black; and to denounce
as anarchists" If we were not merci-
full we would send him to Saltwater for
criminal libel, to make Irvine for honest
Populists."
Now we have received notice from Car
penter that we must retract these charges
or he will sue us for libel Our answer is
to take steps to have him indicted for GRIM
inal libel. We will see that the rule works
both ways.
The fellow is a fool. What does he claim
is libelous? Is it that he pretends to be a
farmer? Why the printed heading of the
very notice he sends US, shows that he is
dealer in pianos, organs, sewing machines
and bicycles. Farmers do not usually
raise that kind of crops. Was it
libelous to say that he has not
done days work nor made
an honest dollar in twenty years? Well,
that was probably an extravagant state
ment of our correspondent; and we take it
back. We admit that he did do days
work and make an honest dollar in twenty.
years Does he mean that it was libelous
TO say that his occupation is running from
house to house? Why, how else could he
sell his organs and sewing machines and
bicycles? The fellow is evidently ashamed
of his business. Or does he mean that it
is libelous to say he had a falsehood in his
mouth while so running? Well, we will
admit, that like all other dealers in those
articles he told the exact truth on every
occasion. Truth is the essence of trade and
the soul of commerce. sewing machine
agent who would lie would be as great a
curiosity as a white blackbird, and should
be put on exhibition. Is it libelous to saw
that he sold his wares for ten times what