Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-25
KAs rlLLMAN DISTILLED,

~ DetWeen tne HensatiOnal edltOr ana
the sensational preacher, the line Of
demarkation is almost imperceptible,
but when the expounder Of divine law
projects himself into the arena Of jour
nalism to gloss over or Justify assassi.
nation under any pretext be shocks the
moral sensibilties of the community.
These observations are inspired by
the contribution of Sidney Carton, bet.
ter known as the Rev. T.. f. Trefz, who
through the columns Of a local paper
seeks to palliate the awful crime COM
mitted by Lieutenant Governor TIL
man in the cowardly murder Of Editor
Gonzales on the fimsy pretext that the
libel laws offer absolutely no redress
for wrongs inflicted by merclless
editors.
you cannot purchase honor with
money" exclaims Mr.. Trefz. cal
though dishonor may be thus pur-
chased. A wicked man can obtain vim
dication satisfactory to him in a libel
suit because he happens to be innocent
Of that particular charge, but an inno-
cent man has no redress" And then
the resort TO brute force and even the
deadly assault upon the author of a
libel is sought to be excused by this
interrogatory: Suppose a man sought
to take your life, would you not be
justified in protecting yourself at the
expense of his life, and Is not honor to
the honorable man of more value than
life? The wonder to me is that
more editors. or newspaper men, are
not killed They seem to have such a
vague idea of the really sacredness Of
their work"
Nobody knows better than Mr.. Trefz
that editors do have an idea of the
sacredness of their work. Nobody has
had better opportunity than he to learn
that editors more frequently transgress
by showing indulgence toward rogues
in high places who richly deserve
chastlsement than by trying to
make them harmless to society by ex-
posure and denunciation. Nobody
knows better than Mr.. Trefz that edi-
leniency toward scoundrels in and out
of office than for publishing their mis-
deeds to the world. The man who will
fully betrays a public trust for pelf or
place merits the indelible brand Of in
fanny. The man who sells out the peo-
pie as a judge, executive or law maker
Is no better than the man who betrays
his country to the enemy in time of
war and merits the penalty imposed by
law upon the traitor who raises his
arm against the nation and the flag.
Crying down courageous men who
turn the searchlight of publicity upon
public thieves and bribe-takers and
bribe- givers is common practice
among the men who pollute the well,
springs of social order and sap the
foundations of free institutions. 1.-THE
position of the editor" declares Mr.
Trefz, sis perhaps the most powerful
in society, therefore, the editor can
AFFORD to make his magnanimity
demonstrate his greatness" Mr. Tref2
might have added with propriety that
the position Of the editor is most trying
as well as most powerful, and were IL
not for his magnanimity scores of men
who hold their heads up with pride
would be humbled in the dust and
other scores would occupy cells in pen
itentiaries.
The idea that an honest man car
only secure redress for injuries or men
tai anguish inflicted by libel by mur
derous assault on the libeler is puerilC
and preposterous. No libel however
vile can seriously effect an honest man
Character, like coral reef, is built IL
layers, but once firmly rooted II canno
be damaged or destroyed. A man o.
character will Outlive all calumny fo
very much the same reason that a MAJ
who travels the straight road is neve
lost.
That Tillman is not entitled (,
maudlin sympathy is evidenced by tn
outburst of popular Indignation a
Charleston, where all the circumstance
that led up to the murderops assault
of Gonzales We're public property.
Nowhere in this country is the cod
held in such reverence as I'm SoutI
Carolina and believers in the cod
desplse the man who would not fac
his enemy. The press, the pulpit an
the people Of South Carolina hav
spontaneously condemned Tillman as
cowardly murderer and IL is deplorabl
that anybody, least of all a clergyman
should seek 10 create the impression
that Tillman had no other means 70
redress OF his fancied or real wrong
than the bmdgeon. revolver and bulle
To PROMOTE PEACE.
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