Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-04-21

, publications Of that nature. But this
| bill would incorporate a new principle
| In the code. Ii would make any publ
cation actonable In which there has
been negligence, even where there IA
nothing Of defamatory or injurious
character 1t does not require that the
matter should be libelous. And so this
| bill Practically makes every incorrect
publication actonable. no matter what
It's character What unlimited fields OF
litigation, what boundless sources OF
annoyance are opened In this extraor-
binary provision.
THE GREAT NEWSPAPER STAFF.
The great newspaper has 80 or more
men on the staft 1t has 500 CORE
spondents II has all the thousand
agencies Of the Associated Press. Its In
telligence comes to IL through all these
multiplied sources. This vast machln.
cry is the indispensable condition Of
modern journalism. Enforce the utmost
vigilance and how IL IL possible, in hu-
man nature, with all these agents TO
prevent mistakes? For mistakes which
inhict actual injury, the newspaper is
now liable and there Is full redress, as
there ought to be. But how shall this
new danger of emotional or imaginary
damages be met? How shall physical
and mental suffering be measured? 1t
is intangible imperceptible, ncommen-
surable, II lies locked up in the heart
OF the Imagination OF the complainant,
He chooses TO swear to II, and how can
Il be combatted or estimated? And In
what cases may 1t not be claimed?
ERRORS WILL CREEP IN.
"1n the presentation Of the news OF
the day errors will inevitably creep In.
The errors need not under this bill be
lbelous; they need result only from
negligence and the error may be re-
garded as showing negligence at some
point. Thus every error, every miss
print every mistake in any single ele-
ment Of a statement may be made the
basis Of a suit for damages. What
shark will not leave the trail Of the
trolley I'm his hunt for prey 10 pursue
the newspaper in this more prolific
field?
is SPECIAL LEGISLATION.
1.-THE bin is special legislation In that
It excludes weekly newspaper II treads
all around the weekly and carefully
avoids stepping on It. This is no accl-
dent The language is three times e.
peated In the course Of the hfl, and
every time in the same peculiar terms
and with the same exception.
NO MONTHLY NEWSPAPERS.
There are no monthly or bl-weekly
newspapers. II is a contradiction OF
terms. There are only 40 seml-weekly
papers IN Pennsylvania. The weeklies
in Pennsylvania number 954, and the
dailies number 2os. 70 declare that q
statement Is n libel when printed In 200
dallles, and not libel when printed in
1854 weekies Is simply grotesque,
BILL UTTERLY PoWERLEss.
"This bill is utterly powerless TO stop
the particular kind of publication
which Il aims at. but II encompasses leg
itimate publications with an unlimited
network OF embarrassment and vexa-
ton; II would cripple and curtai the
presentation Of the regular ard proper
news Of the day; II would start up
whole swarm Of speculative shysters
and curbstone blackmailers: II in
fringes the just and constitutional lib
erty Of the pless. and would impair that
valuable protection for public morals
and public rights which is found in the
searchlight II publicity; II Is special
legislation NJ undertaking 10 make law
for daily newspapers while exempting
the weekly from It's operations. II per-
petrates gross wrong In seeking TO
fasten the principal responsibility upon
the agent where the agent not only does
not commit the otfense, but where he
has not even the poewr to prevent IT,"