The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-13
TO PROTECT The PRESS,
A Law Wanted to Preserve
lnVioIate Confidential
information.
Amendment of the Libel Laws
Advocated and the Text of
One Submitted.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, June 1.-THE
convention of the International League of
Press Clubs to-day adopted a resolution
offered by Charles Emery Smith of the
Philadelphia Press, urging the various
press clubs of the league to work ener-
getically to secure from the Legislatures OF
the several States the passage of laws to
protect newspaper men in preserving in
violate confidential information communi-
Gated to them in the ordinary course of
their duties. The resolution was adopted.
Speaking as newspaper proprietor, Mr.
Smith said that if he had correctly OBJ
served 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 Fl. Low of Philadelphia offered a
resolution relative to libel laws, introduce
ing it with long preamble calling atten-
ton to the services performed by the news
papers 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,
maladministration of offices and violations
of law so long as they do not in printing
IL.
In conclusion the resolution calls upon
the president of the league to petition the
Legislatures. to pass general libel law,
worded as follows:
Before any suit shall be brought for the pub
LEGATION of a libel in any newspaper in this
State, the aggrieved party shall, at least three
days before filing the complaint in such suit,
serve notice on the publisher or publishers
- a =
publication, specifying the statements in the
said article which he or they may allege to be
false or defamatory. If it shall appear on the
trial of said action that the article was pub
hshed in good faith, that its falsity was due to
a mistake or misapprehension of the facts, and
that a full and fair retraction of any statement
therein alleged to be erroneous was published
in the next regular issue of such newspaper, or
in case OF daily papers within three days after
such mistake or Misrepresentation was
brought to the knowledge of such pub
Usher or publishers in as conspicuous place
and type in such newspaper as was
the article complained of as iibelous. then the
plaintiff in such cases shall recover only actual
damages; provided, however, that the proyis-
ions of this act shall not apply to the case of
any libel against any candidate for pu bic
Office in this State unless the retraction of the
charge is made editorially in conspicuous
manner at least three days before election, in
case such ibelous article was published in a
daily newspaper; If published in weekly
paper, at least ten days before the election.
The resolution was adopted.
The convention this morning selected
Buffalo as the place for holding their next
convention, the date to be fixed by the
executive committee. The following Off
GERS were chosen to serve during the COM
ing year: President, Louis II. Megargee,
Philadelphia; first vice-president, Joseph
Howard Jr., New York; treasurer, James
S. McCarty, Philadelphia; secretary, Harry
ID, Vought, Buffalo.