Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-13
LIBEL BILL SIGNED
Governor Pennypacker of Penn
sylvania Says 1t Will Save
Influence of Press
PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS

PROTECTS PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS
In Long Statement Giving His Rea
sons for Endorsing the Measure
Pennypacker Cites Instances of Libe
And Dwells on the Effect on Reputa
bic Papers-Goes Into Effect at Once
Harrisburg. Pa, May 13.-Governor
Pennypacker last evening signed the
Pennsylvania libel bill, and at the same
time issued a long statement giving
the reasons for his action. The bill.
which was in the governors hands for
more than month, goes into effect
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 affect
large business interests, the freedom
of speech and the press, the right of
the citizen to be informed concerning
current affairs of government as well
as to protect reputation and home from
injuries that arise from careless or neg
Iigent, as well as malicious false re-
port.
In his opinion they are of Importance
for the further reason that whichever
way decided the fact that they are
raised indicates widespread dissatis-
faction with existing conditions and
their correct decision is likely to have
an effect within and without the COM
They are deserving, there
fore of the most careful consideration
and the conclusion, unaffected by any
personal feeling and unswayed by any
fear of personal consequences, ought to
be reached upon the high plane of what
will be for the best of the people.
The governor claims there is nothing
in the terms of the measure which pre-
vents any newspaper from making such
comments upon legislative measures
or upon the official acts of state, NUM-
cipal, county or public officers as are
proper information of the public or are
in the line of legitimate public discus
sion
Continuing, he says:
The bill in it's application is not con-
fined to officials. but affects as well the
citizen or business man, whose conduct
no part of the right Of the
public to information. The corporation
officer who has been falsely charged
With crime; the woman whose domestic
griefs have been unfeelingly paraded,
pr whose chastity is improperly sus-
oected; the clergyman who has been
,ruelly maligned; the quiet citizen
whose peace of mind has been destroyed
)y the publication of evil gossip; the
merchant whose credit has been affect
ID by groundiess rumors; the sufferers
rom reckless but not necessarily NAL
cious publications are given the right,
lot to prohibit publication, but to re-
over the damages which they have
sustained, provided they prove negli-
,ence or lack of care on the part of the
instances of what has in fact recently
occurred.
Within a few days, in a leading ar
icle on the first page of daily jour
lal, under large headlines, upon ru-
nor Of unknown source as to the name
If the suggested appointee to the posi-
ion of parliamentary of the supreme
court, when no appointment had been
made and no utterance, official or other
wise, had emanated from any member
IF that court, that high tribunal was
subjected to covert assault under the
words machine after control of the SUI
oreme court
"A mayor of our chief city has been
called a trailer a senator of the Uni
ed States has been denounced as a
yokef with sodden brain, and within
he last quarter of a century two presi-
tents of the United States have been
and in each instance the
,ause was easily traceable to infiam-
natory and careless newspaper utter
,nce. A cartoon in daily journal of
May defines the question with entire
precision. An ugly little dwarf repre-
;enting the governor of the common
wealth stands on crude stool. The
stool is subordinate to and placed
llongside huge printing press with
wheels as large as those of an OK
cam and all are SO arranged as to
give the idea that when the press starts
he stool and it's occupant will be
brown out to the ground. Put into
Words the cartoon asserts to the world
hat the press is above the law and
greater in strength than the govern
nent. No self-respecting people will
permit such an attitude to be long
The governor says IF such abuse of
privileges allowed to the press is to go
il such tales are permitted
o be poured into the ears of men and to
be profitable, it is idle to contend that
equitable newspapers can maintain
heir purity"
He also says that many years ex-
erience on the bench has led him to the
conclusion that crimes are widely pro-
,agated not by the malice, but by the
ecklessness of the press, and that in
certain classes of cases, among them
the accused were many times
or acquitted before they
cached the court room. He claims
hat the damages provided for by the
ill follow the ordinary rule of dam
Lges for want of reasonable care, and
hat no harm can come from the pro-
,ision in the bill requiring that the
James of the owners, proprietors, pub
Usher and managing editor should be
printed with each issue of newspaper |