Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-15

meeting will be held at 10 o'clock a. m.
Friday because several OF the promi-
nent newspaper men of the state are
members of the Louisiana Purchase
exposition commission which meets In
the afternoon of the same day. In
former years the Iowa editors main
tained a good state organization which
usually made journey to some dis
tant state or foreign country once a
year, but this has been neglected sew
eral years. Now the newspaper men
are enjoying such prosperity that
there is general desire that some
thing of the sort shall be done In the
future Sam G.. Sloane, of Charles
City, the president of the old state as
Isociation, is attending meeting OF
the executive committee of the ma
tional association at Hot Springs, Ark.
but is expected here. New officers are
likely to be elected, and an organiza-
ton be effected which will make all of
the local associations of the state in
some sense auxiliary to it and to work
in cooperation.
1t is planned further that the as
sociation take some action that VIII
directly influence legislation in regard
to various matters of special interest
to newspaper men. Efforts have been
made in the past to have the Iowa
laws relating to libel amended and
modified. AT present the door stands
wide open for libel suits costly or an
noying to newspaper men and they
have no protection at all. There is
no way in which newspaper man can
make amends for libelous articles in
nocently printed. His only safety Is
in q wholesome public sentiment
which frowns upon all libel suits and
which make it difficult for a litigant
to secure judgment. In recent years
the Tyndale Palmer suits have been
very expensive to newspaper publish
ers in Iowa. In one case he secured
a verdict of 81 damages after weeks of
expensive litigation, and this was suf-
ficient to throw extra costs on the
newspaper publisher. In another case
the evrdict was for defendant, but
even then the litigation was costly.
He sued for damages for publication
of a plate article" furnished in the
ordinary way to many newspapers. 1t
is now proposed that a law be enacted
that will enable newspaper publisher
to publish a retraction and avoid
danger of suits on libelous matter. 1t
Is also desired that the laws shall be
somewhat amended in regard to the
selection of official county papers.
This is most interesting to the pub
fishers of the weekly papers. Much
annoyance Is caused by the present
method of distributing official favors.
Newspaper publishers in Iowa may
also take up the matter of the recent
stringent regulations adopted by the
the mails an undesirable class of peri
odicals. One of the effects Of this strin-
gency is to make it almost impossible
Cor any one TO start rewrparer any
where. Recently newspaper man un
dertook to revive in Des Moines news
paper he had been publishing in another
CITY. He had a paid-up circulation and
many subscribers paid in advance. He
claimed 500 legitimate circulation. He
printed copy or two and paid fourth
class rates. Then he was notified that
he would have to get signed statements
from at least 400 of his subscribers that
they were in fact subscribers and had
paid in advance for the paper. He had
to give up his newspaper project "A
number of instances have come to the
attention OF the newspaper men where
the postoftice department has made IT
apparently impossible to start news
paper without spending a fortune on
postage at the beginning. These and
many other matters are to be taken up
by the Iowa association, when 1t is
formed or reorganized, and number OF
leading newspaper men who have been
here this week and who have talked the
matter over believe that this is an ex-
cellent time to make an editorial asso-
ciatfon that will accomplish great good
for the newspaper men of Iowa.
The Iowa Louisiana Purchase EXPOSE
tion commission holds a meeting on FRI
day afternoon This commission Is
nprely informal and without special au-
thority of law. 1t was appointed by
Governor Shaw in response to general
demand that the state of Iowa take ear
;v action toward having the state prop
erly Represented at the st. Louis eXposi-
lion next year. The following are the
members of the commission:
i. C. Milliman, Logan, lieutenant gov
ernor chairman.
Robert II. Moore, Ottumwa, secre-
tary.
Samuel NJ Leach Adel.
l.. Young, Des Moines.
Joseph Wallace, Eldora.
s.. b. Evans Ottumwa.
w. C. Hayward. Davenport.
j. L. Waite, Burlington.
n Erickson Boone.
Charles NJ. Junkin, Fairfield,
S. B. Zeigler, West Union.
A. B. Funk Spirit Lake.
j. j. Hartenbower, Des Moines.
C. A. Stanton, Centerville.
w. T. Haywood. Des Moines.
w. B. Fuller, West Union.
e. II. Hunter, Des Moines.
David Brant, Iowa City.
William Logan, Keokuk.
w. III. Berry, Indianola.
Charles T. Hancock, Dubuque.
w. o. Payne, Nevada.
e. P. Heizer. Sioux City.
g. n. Van Houten, Des Moines.
Thomas Stivers, Burlington.
Wesley Greene, Davenport.
Samuel Mahon, Ottumwa.
George NJ Curtis, Clinton.
Two committees were appointed at the
last meeting of the commission. one on
ny,I hn nj