Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-02-27

appointing Hon. NJ. A. Hanna to fiji the
unexpircd term of John Sherman In the
United States Senate.
Speaker Curtis will. It il claimed. ap-
point u committee to investigate the
Chicago Edison Company.
A bill for free text books Ii sure to
pass this session of the Illinois 1cgis-
laturc.
The Revell newspaper libel law re-
peal bill was killed In the House last
week by a vote Of % against ".
The debate over the bill was not the
least interesting feature of the session.
Following are some of the most strik-
Ing expressions of opinion in favor of
upholdinR the present law:
Jonathan Merriam (Rep)--I want to
say as a legislator and rs public man
that | am willing to take the fires Of
the newspapers upon any public or pri-
vatc act OF mine. know from my own
personal knowledge that 1t II not n the
power of the press Of the whole coun.
try to permanently injure n man who
stands upright In his own manhood.
honest ana conscious Of the rectitude Of
his purposes. I am not here M the
advocate Of newspapers. They are
edited by human beings. not always
pure and not always honest. Hut I
have the most sublime confidence I'm
the Intelligence Of that great Jury. the
public. who Judge newspapers rs well
as Individuals. No newspaper can
flourish In this country and have It's
utterances rega rtled that shall habitua!.
~ ana deliberately tell the untruth.
The law. which It II here sought to
repeal, affords no protection to the ma.
llclOus newspapers. but It does protect
those which are honest.
Martin Il. Bailey (Rep.)---1 have made
careful Inquiry to ascertain the scnti.
merts Of my constituents on this sub.
jet ana fail to find one man In favor
Of the repeal Of this law. It IL true
that many Of the men who will favor
the repeal Of this law are not lOOdlers,
but ! well rccOllect that many Of the
men now urging the repeal Of this law
were two years ago urging lts passage.
I have yet failed to find single reason
why this law should he taken from the
statute books.
Fletcher A. Trousdale dem. IL have
never seen In all my lifetime man
who walked erect before his fellow
men and before God who was afraid of
the light being placed upon every act
Of his. Applause.) would like to ask
the gentleman who Introduced this bill
what he has done that he II afraid Off
What IN the matter with him? What
has he done? daughter and appla useJ
Does he come here and say am afrald
the newspapers will tell the truth on
me? No newspaper ever killed good
man. It In only the devils incarnate-lt
IL only the bOOtllers-lt In only the rob.
bers-it II only the fellows who are
afraid that want to get behind some.
body else and fight for a bill Of this
kind and advocate It's passage.
Michael StOskOpf (Dem.)--The law
does not deprive anyone Of a merito.
riOus cause Of action. lf a newspaper
Inns wrOngfully criticised u man 1t must
not only prove itself innocent Of NAL
Ice and make the rctrnctiOn provided
by the law. hut 1t II even then liable for
actual damages. and this II a question
Of fact to liz ascertainesl by the court
or Jury before whom the trial II held
In other words. the law which II II now
sought to repeal discrlminates between
the innocent publisher and the one ac
tuated by malice. 1t gives the former
a chance to prove his innocence. but
makes him liable for actual damages
ana ut the same time adequate prOvis
lon IL made for the punishment Of thu
malicious libeler. Az hns been said by
the gentleman from VermlliOn. there |,
no sentiment among the people In favOl
OF the repeal of this law.
Following Is the vote In detail:
Yeas-C. \. Allen. H.: II. II. Allen. ID.
Alschulcr. D.; Barnes. D.: BarricklOw
D.: Bartiing. d.; Blood. Pop; Booth. X.
Brignadello. d.; Bryant, Pop; Bucknei
H.; Il. G. Busse. r.; Butler. d.: Car
mOdy. d.; Cavanaugh. r.: DE Woody
H.; Elelstein. d.: Eldredge. r.: Ely, u.
Farrell. d.; Funk. r.; Glade. r.: Il. &
Hall. D.; Hammers. H.; Hart. d.; Hun
man, D.: Jarvis. D.; &. G. Johnson, ID.
EllcOurse, r.; Kohlstetlt, H.: I.a Monte
r.; Laub, r.; LOvett. d.; McDOnOugl
d.; McGinnis. D.; Mc<ioOrty, d.: Mea
ney, r.; Miller, H.; Mitchell, d.; II. v
Murray. d.; Nichols. r.: NOhe. r.; Moth
nagle. r.; O'Shea, D.: Parrish, H.; Pei
rOttet, r.; Revell. H.; Saimans. D.; shy
Ter. r.; Schubert. r.; Schwab. D.; Selby
H.; Shamrock, H.; Sherman, H.; Sterchie
d.; Thiemann, H.; Thomas. r.; Wal
: leck, D.; Webb, D.; Weidanaler. r.; VII
son, r.; Wylie. Il.
Nays-AnAiersOn. r.: AtchisOn. ID.
Avery. r.: Bailey. r.: Barnett. d.: Beel
d.; Bergman, r.; BOvey. r.: Bristol
d.; Brown, r.; Bryan, r.; Busell, X,
Cochran, r.; Compton. d.; Conlee. D.
. Craig. d.; Dineen. r.; English, D.; Flar
nigan. r.; Fuller, r.; Carver, r.; Guffii
r.; Harnsberger. d.; Houghton. r.
Hussman, D.; Hunter, r.; j. w. John
, son, r.: Joy. r.; King, r.; LathrOp, II
. Lyon. H.; McEnery. d.; McGee, ID
Mcclure, d.; Marquiss. r.; Merriam
r.; Montgomery. D.; Morey, r.; MOrri,
D.; a. q. Murray, r.; q. Murray, Il
Murdoch. r.; NOllng. r.; NOvak, ID
! O'DOnnell, d.; Olsen. H.; Payne, II
Perry, d.; A. Powell. H.; J. Powell
| Ind II nri.a II nnuo u SnrNUt,