Milford chronicle., 1903-05-15
LIBEL BILL APPROVED
Grady-Salus Measure Signed By
/. Governor Pennypacker.
GIVES REASONS FOR HIS ACTION

GIVES REASONS FOR HIS ACTION
Says Questions Raised BY the Bill
Are Very important and Affect All
citizens-Wcokly Newspapers Sub.
Iect to the New Law.
Harrisburg, Pa. May Ex-Governor
Pennypacker has approved the Grady
Salus libel bill and has issued a long
statement giving the reasons for his
action. The bill, which was in the
governors hands for more than one
month, goes into effect Immediately
and repeals 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 right of the
citizens to be informed concerning
current affairs and the conduct of gov
eminent, as well as his right to pro-
tect his reputation and home from the
injuries that rise from careless or
negligent, as well as malicious false
report.
The governor claims there is moth
ing 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, county or public officers as |
are proper for the information of the |
public or are in the line of legitimate |
public discussion.
Continuing, he says: "The bill in its
application is not confined to officials,
but affects as well, the citizen or busi-
ness man whose conduct constitutes
no part Of the right of the public to
information. The corporation officer
who has been falsely charged with
crime; the manufacturer who has been
falsely accused of being a drunken
brawler; the woman whose domestic
griefs have been unfeelingly paraded,
or whose chastity is improperly sus-
pected: the student who has been
falsely accused of murder; the clergy
man who has been cruelty maligned;
the quiet citizen whose peace of mind
has been destroyed by the publication
Of evil gossip; the merchant whose
credit has been affected by ground
less rumOrs; the sufferers from reck-
less, but not necessarily malicious pub
lications are given the right, not to
prohibit publication, but to recover
damages which they have sustained.
provided they prove negligence or lack
OF care on the part of the publishing
newspapers. All of these are in
stances Of what has in fact recently
occurred.
A mayor of our chief city has been ,
called a tTailer, a senator of the
United States has been denounced as
a YoIel with sodden brain and within ,
the last quarter of a century two
presidents of the United States have
been murdered and in each instance I
the cause was easily tracea5le to in d
hammatory and careless newspaper n
utterance. A cartoon in a daily jour d
nal of May 2 defines the question with n
entire precision. An ugly little dwarf \
the governor of the COM n
stands on a crude STOOL
The stool is subordinate to and placed p
alongside a huge printing press with II
wheels as large as those of an OK +,
cam and all are so arranged as to give n
he idea that when the press starts /,
he stool and its occupant will be r
hrown to the ground. Put into words n,
he cartoon asserts to the world that p.
he press is above the law and greater n
n strength than the government. No
people will permit ST
uch an attitude to be long main
aimed" re
He argues that the omission of the 81
7ord weekly" from the provisions Of W
he bill was unwise, but in no sense WI
atal and that if hereafter a newspa- tn
er should be issued every other day pr
r twice day and thus not be includ- ne
d in the descriptive words used it sn
Tould, as well as the journals pub pr
shed weekly, be covered by the gen an
raj enacting words, and be subject 81
} the provisions of the act ra
In conclusion the governor SAYS: lei
With a serious sense that the evil SCI
of more than ordinary moment, ha
ith full knowledge of the importance is
the press and of its value to man. OF
nd through all past struggles. and Is
ith the hope and belief that the
eater care and larger measures Of
sponsibility brought about by this on,
", tending to elevate the meritorious No
Id repress the unworthy viii pro- NJ
ote its welfare. while beneftting the eri
immunity, approve the bill" ,,.a
NJ. A. ,,--,- ers