New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-20
THE CASE or MOVES Us. DANA.

Too serious attention can scarcely be palh
nv the newspaper press and by the general pun
| lie TO the progress of the pending NoyesDaha
libel suit We call It that because that Is what
IL was in its inception, and, technically, sill Is
The case has, however. far ou growE its original
| uroportions and assumed a new and vastly
greater significance. 1t has raised some lmpor-
taut constitutional questions Of vital interest 10
| every newspaper man. in which also every cl'l'
| zen Of the United States Is more or less con
| cerncd Is the With Amendment 10 the Consti-
tuition valid? Docs it apply 10 all citizens, I'M
! partially or are newspaper men alone deprived
| Of its protection? Is 1t now to be Interpreted
In accordance with the most evident common
sense and with numerous existing decisions or
high tribunals. or Is 1t to be perverted, through
strained and technical constructions, to the in
| tocrablc oppression Of a citizen! And If an UNI
warranted exception is 10 be made. to the deri-
| mont OF one citizen. or of all citizens in one
business how soon may similar exceptions be
| extended TO other citizens and to other bust
nesscs?
Most readers are doubtless already pretty Ia
miliar with the general facts in this case MI.
| Nan, t. tho Editor of The New-YOrk Sun.
His home and office are in NewYork. His work
is done. here his paper Is published here He
is well known to be a man OF fixed abode, OF
sober Judgment. and Of full accountability Tor
all his words and deeds; and his paper Is recog-
nzed rs one Of the most important and respoh-
sible Journals in America. Mr.. Noyes Is the
editor OF a paper. and one OF the managers vi
a news agency, in the District OF Coiuinpla.
Some weeks ago there appeared in The sun
a reference 10 Mr.. Noyes. on account or when
he began libel suit against Mr.. Dana IN
stead however. OF bringing 1t In New-iorR'
where the article in question was puOllShed ana
the alleged offence committed, he brought IL III
the District Of Columbia. region remote 10y
some hundreds of miles from the place where
the act of which he complains was performed
| And he now seeks TO have Mr.. Dana forcioly
conveyed thithcr for trial.
IL appears TO us that this attempt to try
man In one place for something done in another
and far distant place Is Il violation OF common
sense and common justice. 1t Is repugnant To
| the spirit of the Constitution and laws, and
also we confidently believe, to the letter OF
them THE Sun" has Il wide circulation. going,
we suppose into every State Of this Union. and
| every Englishreadin country on the globe IL
is absurd to say that in writing and publishing
| an article in Ncw-York, where the paper and lis
| editor are TO be found and called 10 account ut
any time Mr. Dana IS 10 be considered rs pub
| fishing it in every place TO which copy may
by any means be carried and that he may be
| hailed hither and thither from Mattawamkeas
To Snohomish. and perhaps, under some eXtradl-
| ton treaty TO Buluwayo. TO Chillianwallah, ana
| 10 the court Of Prestcr John.
This attack Is to be resented and resisted To
| The uttcrmost not merely because II is made
| upon Mr.. Dana, Of the most eminent. ac-
| complished and responsible journalists OF the
| age: but because 1t Is made, through him. upon
| every newspaper publisher in the land. If this
unspeakablc tyranny be successful in his CASE
| every editor will be in peril of It, and all news
paper men will be forced into class apart de-
MED the equal protection Of the Constitution,
practically outlawed. Nor is that ALL Once
| establish the detestabe principle Of discrimina
! ton in matters Of law and justice. and who can
tell how far 1t may presently extend? 1t may
| be applied to other and yet other cases, until
any citizen may be arbitrarily seized anu
dragged away to distant parts. at the VIII OF
| any malicious complainant who may. through
some quibbling technicality, make IL appear
| that the effects Of some deed Of his have eN-
| tended thither There could scarcely be more
mischievous precedent set than this which Mr.
! Noyes's councillors are apparently seeking 10
| establish