The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-25
STARTLING NEWS.
GHYM"O HN0n HHn"x

SUITS FOR LIBEL.
We do not wonder at.the announcement
made in another column that John C.
Hanley, secretary Of the F. A. and l. u,
of this state, has commenced civil suits,
aggregating $4,000, against the Mime
apolis Times, S. M. Owen, and F. c.
Gibbs, for libellously calling him a
"bunco steerer," and Confidence man."
and "swindler," and thief" These are
perilous terms to use as to any man, and
those who use them must be prepared to
prove their truth or pay for the luxury
OF applying them to innocent parties
1t is true the policy of presenting
list Of names to the governor of promi-
nent farmers, suitable for appointing 8,
may have been a mistake, and yet it was
not an invasion of the right of any one.
We understand that when complaint
was made to the governor because so
few farmers had received lucrative posi-
tons on state boards, and otherwise,
his reply was that no names had been
presented to him from which to make
selections, while men Of other pursuits
were being pushed for the places And
thereupon the Farmers Alliance and In
dustrial Union, as the national repre-
sentative Of the farmers, thought that
it would be proper to avoid this objection
and present to the governor list Of
prominent and reliable farmers in diff
ferent parts of the state. who were At
to hold the Offices In question. And they
therefore instructed Mr.. Hanley, their
secretary, to make up such a list and
present 1t to the governor. A small fee
was to be charged to cover correspond
ence, etc., the whole remainder being
transferred to the credit of the local al
lance, to which the nominee belonged,
and none of it going to Mr.. Hanley.
If we had been present when this
course was agreed upon we should prob
ably have counseled against It; simply
because OF possible misconceptions that
might follow. Some of those who paid
the small fee might suppose that they
were sure to get an Office, while nothing
of the sort was promised. They might
think 1t was sale of patronage, at a
dollar head, while it was simply in
tended to obviate the excuse of the gov
ernor for ignoring the agricultural class.
But even If this be true, Mr.. Han
ley. as the officer and servant of the +.
A. and l. U. had nothing to do but exc
cute its will; and there was therefore no
excuse for calling him "a thief" dead
beat" swindler," etc. Mr.. Hanley has
wife and family who are very dear to
him, and even If his assailants do not
like "The Representative" for which
Mr. H. writes, that is no reason why they
should try to trample him in the mud,
or blacken to criminal colors the reDu-
tation he is to transmit to his children.
"Thief" and "swindler" are not pleasant
heritage to leave to ones posterity.
The suits will be tried in st. Paul.
where Mr.. Hanley lives, and where the
papers assaulting him circulate. We
learn that they will be pushed with the
utmost vigor; and the grand jury will
also be asked to indict the parties for
criminal libel Mr.. S. M. Owen, in
'The Farm, Stock and Home was the
first to open this floodgate of defamation.
and his utterances show that his reason
for attacking Mr.. Hanley was because
of his connection with the Nashville anti
fusion committee. This proves malice
and it is likely to 60 hard with the
worthy and obsequious Sidney.
The prosecution of the case will prob
ably drag others from under their cover,
and we should not be surprised to see
some of the malignant sent to the state
prison for term of years. It will be
well for the state if it is clearly establish
ed that men have no right to defame 9TH
ers, simply because they exercise the
God-given right of thinking for them
selves. These same parties have kept
the editor of this paper busy for months
past, defending himself from countless
and reiterated falsehoods, when his time
ought to have been given to the discuss
sion of public affairs. And all because
he thought the Peoples Party ought to
live and not to die.
We thank Mr.. Hanley for inaugurating
better day. Id.