Arizona republican., 1902-04-24

some news value attaching tc the mat
ter on account of the notoriety which
the editor of the sheet re-
ferred to had achieved as
member of the legislature. Editorial
reference in rather pointed language
was made to the subject matter OF the
dispatch, in the same issue of The Re-
publican. and the topic was dismissed
On the day following the editor of
the Kingman paper telepraphed The
Republican that he had begun action
against this paper for damages in the
sum of $4,000. Particular stress seemed
to be laid by the plaintiff upon the
great injury done by the editorial in
this paper. Meantime a great howl
was raised by the disreputable section
of the territorial press, to the effect
that the great Kingman editor had
been fearfuily damaged in reputation
by the wide circulation of the dispatch
and editorial in The Republican. and
it was gleefully predicted that this pa
per would be forced to pay many thou
jured reputation. The indignation on
behalf of the kingman editor was
largely from the papers which have
disgraced Arizona by the most reck-
less. malicious and libalous assaults
upon defenseless citizens in public and
private life. Immune themselves from
lack OF financial standing. some OF The
Republicans critics had heep guilty of
countless libels. by comparison with
which the dispatch and editorial COM
ments in this paper concerning the
Kingman incident We're highly compli-
mentary. The Republican is scrupu-
lousy fair toward everybody. and has
reached its pre-en-inence at the head
of the territorial press by being a fair
and respectable newspaper instead of
channel for filth. Its policy has been
to lead every citizen and business in
terest, no matter how humble, to reCog-
nize that in its columns justice is al
ways met. But investigation led US TO
the conclusion that no injustice had
been done the Eingman editor. and in
view of his instant advice that action
for damages had been begun, and IN
view of the anxiety of jealous con-
temporaries to see The Republican put
in a hole and inasmuch as the plain
tiff had decided upon further reflection
that he was damaged in the sum of
coo and had amended his complaint
accordingly, we decided to stand pat"
Suggestions were made that this and
that sum would be accepted in settle
ment, and finally the offer was made to
stop proceedings if The Republican
would pay $500. But we determined to
spend many times $500 in defense
rather than submit to any hold-up
proposition Tor the benefit of : con-
tingent-fee combina ton. The case
thereupon went to trial, for the plain
tiff and his honorable attorneys mad
some knowledge OF the possibilities in
the way of obtaining verdicts from
juries, and they knew that if perchance
they secured a judgment for $4,000
and the courts of last resort uphel/the
judgment, they would get the money.
But a wise prudence appears to have
led the plaintiff and his attorneys to
ignore the editorial comments COM
planned of.
In the rush of getting out a daily
newspaper which receives news by
telegraph from all quarters of the
world, there is no opportunity to YER
ify the truth of dispatches received.
And while the judgment of a trained
newspaper man is usually unerring and
many dispatches go into the waste bas-
ket which the layman would consider
proper material for the paper, there is
always a chance that injustice may be
done to somebody on account of lack
of proper judgment on the part OF cor
respondents in the rural districts.
These facts are recognized by all in
telligent people, and when a newspaper
of standing is sued for damages on ac-
count of news item it means as rule
that blackmail is the leading motive.