Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-07-19
TlMsLEY & MORTON. ProprIetors.
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 10. 1895

FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 10. 1895.
THE NEWSPAPERS AND THE LIBEL
LAWS.
We have read with some interest the re-
pert of the committee OF the Virginia
Press Association on the libel laws of the
State. They characterize them as "harsh
and oppressive to the newspapers OF the
State and destructive of that freedom or
the press recognized by the founders OF
this government, as essential to the liberty
of the citizen" We have read this not
only with interest, but surprise. We don't
know where there can be found a IreSf
nress than there is, and has been for the
last half century, in this State OF Virginia.
1t has freely criticized the public acts OIL
all the States public men with absolute
immunity. 1t has criticised the acts OF the
officers of every department. OF STATE ex-
ecutive, legislative and Judicial, With per-
feet freedom. and it has treated the law
transgressing private citizen with gloves
off. And yet in a half century we cannot
recall dozen libel suits brought against
Virginia newspapers.
In the law which the committee proposes
to submit to the legislature, it is provided
malice must be proven in actions for both
criminal and civil libel. We emphatically
dissent from that proposition. A news
paper is a most dangerous machine in the
hands of men without Judgment ana I'M
dit to conduct it. Without a particle OF
malice man of no judgment-and there
are as many in our profession as in any
other-may admit a publication Which Will
ruin another man for life 1t is folly to
say that the ruined man not finding malice
shall be without any redress. Many men
are in control of newspapers who as far as
wisdom, for which discretion is better
name, is concerned. are not qualified to &c
more than sell them OIL the street. Shall such
men WELD their dangerous weapon without
control? Shall tho damage they may do he
without redress Shall railroad COM
pany that permits an incompetent man in
the locomotive cab to wreck the train be
held faultless because there is no malice
A newspaper proprietor, as far as libel is
concerned. stands in the shoes OF any other
citizen; he should be held strictly accounta-
ble for any damage that may accrue to
another citizen, his family OF his property
from anything that appears i'll his paper
whether it is put there from malice OF the
Tncompetency Of those in charge. Nor do
we agree with the committee in it's opin-
lon-if we understand it aright-that pub
He meetings when accurately reported
shall be deemed privileged. The verlest and
most irresponsible blackguard may get
access to public meeting and there bring
the foulest charges against the best men.
TO print such should be deemed libel and
SO treated.
There is a harum -scarum, sensational
style of journalism growing in Virginia
which we much regret to see. 1t has very
loose and peculiar ideas Of what is news
of what ought to go in paper-and seems
densely ignorant of what ought to be kept
out. If this style progresses, it seems to
us that more rigid, not more lenient, libel
laws would be the thing-and that too
without any restriction of the legitimate
freedom Of the press which the committee
very properly wants to see preserved.
IRELAND GETS A DARK VACATION.
The election for members of parliament
now progressing indicates that Ireland and
its affairs are about being givena back seat
for many a year to come. 1t may be set
down as certain that as long as there is a
House of Lords there will he no home rule
hill passed for that ill-governed country. Its
best friend, MI. Gladstone, is out of the
field; its weakest friend, Lord Roseberry
is now being showed under, and its othel
friend. the Irish representation in the
House of Commons, present and prospec
tive. are fighting among themselves. The
last, however, will make little difference
for the present. for the Conservative ma
jority in the House of Commons promises
to he SO large that there will be no balance
of power group and the votes OF the Irish
members will not be of use to either party
the majority party being too strong and
the minority party being too weak. And
so it would seem Ireland is in for long and
dark vacation. Nor does her old enemy
the House of Lords seem to be in a bad
way. Notwithstanding the brutal, suel
obstinacy with which it has met Irish
home rule, an obstinacy it has also shown
to every measure devised to give the Eng
lish people themselves more share in the
government Of their country, it seems not
to have lost much ground. In the very cleo
ton now going on in Great Britain, one cry
is away with the Lords, and yet the men
who are crying it are being returned in a
minority at the polls. 1t is hard for an
American to understand the secret of this
malign strength, but it is there, and the
Irish and their friends in America will
hayea good while yet to wait.
A NOTEWORTHY DEBATE.
A debate began in Chicago on Tuesday
afternoon, which is likely to last for sever
al days. 1t is between W. H. Harvey, the
author of ''Coin's Financial School, de-
Tending the statements in that work, and
Roswell G. HoTr. a Maine ex congressman,
cOntroverting them. MI. Horr IN his
opening each day is confined to one thou
sand words, a little less than column of