Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1895-06-21
PRESS CLUBS CONVENE
Legislation Desired to Pro.
tect Publishers.
PROPOSED LAW TO GOVERN LIBEL
Be ore Suit Shall BE Brought a Pub
Usher Shall Be Granted Time
to Publish Retractfon.

| w AASIaCthOhs
! Philadelphia, June 14.--The conven-
tion Of the International League of
Press Clubs today adopted resolution
offered by Charles Emery Smith, Of the
Philadelphia Press, urging the various
pess clubs of the league to work ener-
getically to secure from the Legislature
of the several states the passage of laws
to protect newspaper men in preserv-
ing inviolate confidential information
communicated to them in the ordinary
course of their duties.
Speaking as a newspaper proprietor,
Mr.. Smith said that if he had correctly
observed the young men about him,
there was not one worthy member in
the newspaper profession who would
|, not rather rot in Jail than betray his
confidence.
John II. Low, Of Philadelphia, offer
ed a resolution relative to libel laws,
introducing it in long preamble call
ing attention to the services performed
by the newspapers of the nation as the
chief weapons of defense against official
corruption and vice, and reciting that
it has become their duty and right to
expose public scandal, maladministra-
tion of offices and violations of law, SO
long as they do not in printing or vio-
lation abuse the liberty granted them.
In conclusion, the resolution calls upon
the president of the league to petition
legislatures to pass general libel law
worded as follows:
Before and suit shall be brought
for the publication of libel in any
newspaper in this state, the aggrieved
party shall, at least three days before
filing or giving the complaint in such
suit, serve notice on the publisher or
publishers of said newspaper at their
principal Office of publication, specify
ing the statements in said article which
he or they may allege to be false or de-
famatory. If it shall appear ON the
trial of said action that the article was
published in good faith; that its falsity
was due to a mistake or misapprehen-
sion of the facts, and that full and
fair retraction of any statement therein
alleged to be erroneous was published
in the next regular issue of such news
paper, or in case of daily papers, within
three days after such mistake or misap-
prehension was brought to the knowl-
edge of such publisher or publishers in
as conspicuous place and type in such
newspaper as was the article COM
planned of as libelous; then the plaintiff
in such cases shall recover any actual
damages Provided, however, that the
provisions of this act shall not apply to
the case of any libel against any candi-
date for public Office in this state,
unless the retraction of the charge is
made editorially in conspicuous man
ner, at least three days before election,
if such libelous article was published
in daily newspaper; if published in
weekly paper, at least ten days before
election"
The resolution was adopted.
The convention this morning selected
Buffalo as the place for holding the
next convention. The date will be
fixed by the executive committee. The
following officers were chosen to serve
during the coming year:
President, Louis H. Megargee, Phila-
delphia; first vice-presi dent, Joseph
Howard, jr., New York; treasurer,
James s. McCarty, Philadelphia; Sec
retary, Harry d. vought, Buffalo.