Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1905-08-04

| LIE liUUlc AlOU vi DunpUlOuS OlaCk-
mailcrs who control the so-called state
editorial association-that never has
more than a tenth to fifth of the
newspaper men of the state present at
its junkets, and whose bosses arc
more interested in free feeds than in
doing business in the interest of the
craft-arc making great cry about
the Streeter libel bill, ard have tor
rents of abuse for its author. This
gang Of worthless will probably learn
at the next session of the legislature
that other people have some rights
that the Lampman. Hager- Delabere
outfit will be made to respect.
The editor of the Record has pub
lished a country newspaper in this
county more than twenty years. 1t
has not been a milk-and-wate sheet
by any means. 1t has never failed
tocriticise office-holders or politicians
whenever it's editor thought that
conditions justified such criticism.
But he has been very careful to have
proof that he told the truth when
criticising. And every old settler in
this county knows that in not asingle
instance has anybody been able to get
IL line in this paper rejecting on the
private life of our bitterest personal
Or political opponents. Even when
one of such opponents was slobbering
around Winona about the alleged
wrong that had been done him, ard
writing to Il lawyer to at once start a
divorce for him-a letter which the
lawyer now has in his posscssion-we
said nothing about it, and refused to
print references to it in communica-
tions.
The new libel law is one that the
| Record editor must obey, as we'll as
The other editors of the state. Nine
tenths of the state newspaper men
have not used their papers for the
purpose of getting even with personal
enemies by lying and misrepresenta-
tion. 70 these Il libel law is of no
consequence. 1t is the cowardly
knavcs Of the mutual admiration
society that is running the so-called
state editorial association = whose
entire reputation has been built on
abuse of any public officer or any
newspaper man who refuses to crook
the knee and do homage to their
greatness have cause to dislike
the libel law.
The overwhelming sentiment among
members of the legislature at Bis
marck last winter was that it was
time some drastic legislation was put
on the statute books for the protec-
tion of the public against the malic-
ious assaults of few editors in the
state who were in the habit of villify-
ing every one-in Office or out of office
who wouldn't jump whenever they
pulled the string, A bill was intro
duced = in the lower house = pro-
viding for such punishment. 1t passed
the house Of representatives. with only
nineteen members OF the llouse--the
full membership being one hundred
voting against it. And among those
who favored it at least two-thirds
were farmers. The enormous majori-
ty for it was made up of prohibitions
lists and reSubmissionists, of primary
and anti-primary men, ct those act
ing with the state republican organi-
cation and those opposed. The roll
call shows that there was no division
along the lines dividing the men,
bership into several groups. The feel
ing prevailed generally that a point
had been reached in this state
brought about by IL few newspaper
lnen-when the ''liberty" of the pub
lie and its protection from the eli
cense" of untruthful and malicious
newspaper abuse should be considered
by the peoples representatives. And
the member of the house from this
county believed-snd now believes-hc
was in duty bound to advocate what lie
thought was best for the people of his
district generally, and for the state
at large, rather than the interests Of
the few editors who run the editorial
associations; and he didllot-and does
not nOW--sce any logical reason why
he should be controlled by the leaders
Of that body. And he will not be so
controlled.
The assertion is made that the OBJ
ject Of the measure was to prevent
newspaper abuse of the. dominant
faction i'll this state But many
Of the editors of the state train with
the faction now dominant. Does not
the law apply toall papers in North
Dakota? Will. it not protect from
unwarraited and malicious attacks
the leaders of both the '.fn'' and the
"Outn factions in this state?
90
Some Of the editors who roast the
new libel law assert that the motive
of the man who introduced it was to
shield from newspaper attacks tile
senators and representatives who on