Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1905-02-08
An Excellent Degense.

we quite agree with the Grafton
sentinel that every newspaper in
West Virginia shonld reprint In it's
entirety most excellent editorial.
original with the Wheeling News,
which is entitled "New spapers and
Attorney 1t is most admirable
and truthful defense of a charge
that is frequently unlhoughtedly
made against newspapers, that is
absolutely without facts to Justify it.
We print il herewith in full:
His Ecceutricty, Governor Penny packer, of
PENNSYLVANIA, has great deal to say about the
alleged habits of newspapers in saying things
about public men without the iattcrs' consent,
aud of calling folks hard names which the
facts do not justify, aud of various other slan-
derous aud iibe Gus and uujustifabie assaults
on the personal aud private affairs OF citizens.
Some papers even far as to intimate
that the political methods of the governors
friends In Pennsylvania were not any better
than they ought to be. 1t seems To- the News
that when the governor accuses newsp ,pers of
unjus,ibab'y assailug the character of citizens
lie shonl' remember the faults of his own pro-
iession IN that respect. Governor Penny packer
is lawyer of considerable repute but with ali
his care for the feelings OF the public Il is not
apparent that he has succeeded in preventing
the abusive methods of some of his legal brcth-
rem When II COMES TO assaiIiug the private
character Of citizens, most folks will agree that
the lawyers go further than the newspapers IL
is an everyday occurrc1ce la rhe courts of
% a. Ter dnft lar
brow-bcating. Insulting and libcling respectable
business men or honest, reputable mechanics.
In fact there seems 10 be- no protection whatever
given tile decent citizeu from the venomous
tongue of the lawyer on tile other side. In many
instances the difference due women seems TO be
forgotten, and they are treated with a cold
brutality and subjected to mental torture which
the iuquisitor would not dare attempt did he not
know lie was safe from action for libel and
reasonably safe from personal attack by
the laws Of the land The News knows of
Instances of witnesses whose character was so
far above the attacking lawyer that a comparI-
son would make them resemble a tableau of
George Washington ahd Ananias, accused by
the Attorney OF perjury. Every petty fault.
every little slip of the tongue, every unfortunate
enlargement witness may unwitting1y have
become involved in are taken up, mag sified aud
elaborated upon as high crimes and III sdeineau-
ors. In fact, the witness is completely at the
mercy of every bully of the law who mistakes
abuse for legal acunen, aud who cowaTdiilee
takes refuge In the protection Of the court TO
treat respectable persons In "A manner he would
not dare to do on the outside. fl IL no wonder
the average man hates to- become a witness
The wonder Is the public has stood for IL as long
as it has. OF course, there are many lawyers -
and usually they are the leaders IN their profes.
sion who are as considcrate and gentlemaufv
with all Witnesses they won d be in ordinary
social Intercourse. So there are newspapers
which are careful and honest ia their handling
OF news items which affect character In fact
newspapers, as a whole, are careful TO fault,
and are prone 20 gloss over conditions which
would be to the best interests of the public TO
disclose Many an item is suppressed and many
an abuse is hidden by newspapers for the sole
reason that its publication, though tending for
the general welfare, would bring sorrow and
pain to some innocent party. But when news
papers unjnstiy assail men and wonien there IA
a remedy at law for the aggrieved. The-e Is no
remedy for the hurt done a witness by a vltuper-
ative lawyer, save the good old Irish one of a
club. 1t might make a syeeter atmosphere IL IL
applied oftener."