The Forrest City times., 1903-05-15
GRADY-SALUS LIBEL BILL.
Gov. Pennypacker of Pennsylvania
Signs the Act After Civ
ing His Reasons.
CAN NOT HURT REPUTABLE JOURNALS.
1t Will, However, Have Tendency to
Check the Reckless Publication of Hear
say and other Matters Wherein Public
and Private Persons Are Maiigned or
Held Up to Public Scorn.

u
Harrisburg, Pa, May 13.-Goy. Pen
nypacker approved the Grady-Salus
libel bill, Tuesday, and at the same
time issued long statement giving
the reasons for his action. The bill,
which was in the governors hands
for more than ii month. goes into eff
feet Immediately and repeats all laws
or parts of laws inconsistent with the
new act.
The governor says, in his statement,
that the questions raised by the bill
are of very grave Importance, and af-
feet large business interests. the free
dom Of speech and the press, the
right of the citizen to be informed
concerning current affairs and the
conduct of government, as we'll as his
right to protect his reputation and
home from the inj juries that rise from
carelessneSs or neglect, as we'll as ma
Hcious false report.
The governor says there is nothing
in the terms of the measure which
prevents any newspaper from making
such comments upon Legislative meas
ures or upon the official acts of state,
municipal, public or county offices as
are pr.per information for the public
or are in the line of legitimate public
discussion. Continuing, he says:
Rights Conveyed.
THE bill in its application is not
confined to officials, but affects, as
we'll the citizen or business man,
whose conduct constitutes no part of
the right of the public to informa-
ton. The corporation officer who
has been falsely charged with crime;
the manufacturer who has been false
ly accused of being a drunken brawl-
er; the woman whose domestic griefs
have been unfeelingly paraded, or
whose chastity is improperly suspect
ed; the student who has been falsely
accused of murder; the clergyman
who has been cruelty maligned; the
quiet citizen whose peace of mind has
been destroyed by the publication of
evil gossip; the merchant whose cred
1t has been affected by groundlcss
rumorS; the sufferers from reckless.
but not necessarily malicious, pub
lieations are given the right, not to
prohibit publication, but TO recover
the damages which they have sus-
tanea, provided they prove negli-
genee or lack Of care on the part of
the publishing newspapers. All these
are instances of what has in fact re-
Gently occurred
within a few days, in a leading
article on the first page of daily
journal, under large headlines, upon
rumor of unknown source as to the
name OF the suggested appointee to
n position connected with the I su-
preme court, when no appointment
had been made and no utterance. Off
cial or otherwise had emanated from
any member of that court, that high
tribunal was subjected to "A covert as
sault under the words machine after
the control of the supreme court A
mayor of our chief city has been
called a traitor; a senator Of the
United States has been denounced as
a 'yokef with sodden brain, and with
in the last quarter of century two
presidents of the United States have
been murdered and in each instance
fammatory and careless newspaper
utterances.
Defined by Cartoon.