The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-29
Plan TO HUZZLE
PENNSYLVANIA PRESS.
New Libel Law denounced to the
Governor by Editors.
new PRINCIPLE SET up.
Would Make Actioaable as Libel
Statements not Defamatory, but
Might be Slightly Incorrect.

Harrisburg, April 2l.-Every impor-
tant newspaper in Pennsylvania was
represented at the hearing today on
the Grady -Salus libel bill, before Gov.
Pennypacker in the House Of Repre-
sentatiFes. Attorney General Carson
sat with the Governor throughout the
hearing, but neither indicated what
would be the Governors action on the
measure.
The opening speech was made by
former Postmaster General Charles
Emory Smith of The Philadelphia
Press, who said in part: 6 The great
folly of this bill is that it is utterly
ineHectiFe. and futile for the purpose
for which it is really designed, while
it exposes reputable newspapers to the
danger Of costly, yexatious and black
mailing suits. The very essence OF IL
bel is that the publication shall be
of a defamatory or injurious character
The law now rightly holds a neWspa-
per responsible for publications Of that
nature. But this bill would incor-
porate new principle in the code. 1t
would make any publication action
able, in which there has been negll-
gence, even where there is nothing OF
a defamatory OF injurious character. 1t
does not require that the matter be
Iibeilous. So this bill practically
makes every incorrect publication ac-
tionable, no matter what its character.
g a great newspaper has fifty or more
men on It's staff. 1t has 500 correspon-.
dents. Il has all the thousands of
agencies Of the Associated Press. It's
intelligence comes to it through all
these multiplied sources. This vast ma
chinery is an indispensable condition
of modern Journalism. Enforce the
utmost vigilance, and how is it possible
in human nature, with all these to
prevent mistakes?
{. III presentation of the news Of the
day errors will inevitably creep IN.
Such errors need not under this bill
be ibellous. They need only result
from what may be called negligence,
and every error may be regarded as
showing negligence at some point.
Yaus every err, every misprint, every
mistake, in every single element OF a
statement, may be made the ground
Tor silt for damages. This bill is
utterly poWerless to stop the particular
kind of publications at which it aims,
but encompasses. legitimate publiea-
Sions with an ulimited network of
embarrassment and yexation and would
cripple and curtail the presentation Of
regular and proper rews Of the day
The libel provides that civil action
may be brought against any owner or
managing editor of any newspaper
published in Pennsylvania, to- recover
damages resulting from negligence
ON the part of such owners or manag-
ing editors, in publications affecting
the character, reputation, or business
of citizens. Compensatory damages
may also be recovered for physical
and mental suferings endured by in
iared parties 6 whenever such publica
fion is given special prominence by
the .nse Of cartoons, ETC., the jury
shall have the right to award punitive
damages against the defendants. Italso
provides that every newspaper pub
lished in Pennsylvania shall publish
on the editorial page the name Of the
owner or owners, together with the
name of the managing editor.