The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-06
Another rattor As.e,Itea.


 Two young men, apparently bufiies, sons of Governor Conner of Alabama, met and o assaulted Yr dysiss Frans Gaass. of the strictures made by that news paper upon the official acts of their father. warning Mir. Glass that if he persisted in his course worse woul9 the cleanest, fairest and most exem- plary newspaper men in the South, but withai man of convictions, or hign sin a0a anig ensiba aad both when he shall believe the public welfare re- quires it. The Advertiser has not ap- proved Governor Corners course any conscientioas men in the state have. and 1t has frankly said so. It has made no personal war on Governor Conner, It's criticisms being altogether and acts. Recently The Advertiser printed an advertfgement--so marked --and for which 1t disclaimed any responsibility. 1lhsr Hlhsrs were statements in the adver. libellous and he brought suit against the newspaper. The jury In the case brought fn a verdict holding The Ad- ;n liable and sn. by that act sustaining as nearly as 1t could under the fnstructions of the court the innocence of the publishers n vertiser has pursued its uniform policy of criticfsing the Governor when ft thought he merited it--and it appears he needed 1t with some frequency. It Glass Glass that nothing has ever appeared in his paper that would in the remot- est way Justify the brutal assault of the Governors tive sons; and # may win not be deterred from further crit icism through fear of what they threat
 The general publics is interested in affects the right of newspaper to criticise within parliamentary bounds the actions and utterances of public men. Mir. Glass had done no more than his duty to the people of Alabama, and for that he is set upon--noS by one brave young man jealous of his fath- CTS reputation. but by two of them and brutally assaulted. It was neith. er courageous act nor Justified by even the merest claim of filial piety. The offense--if ofeense 1t was--was not deemed by the Governor as sufiiciently mortal to cali for physical violence, be- sons certainly had no right to regard 1t as any more serious than the father, But even If it had called for violence, .yen nss h st anss of tSer Tor .tSep ROo name, to jump on one. The act will he sneeringly alluded to by sectional enemies as "an example Of Southern ply an exhibition of ordinary street rowdyism. Fortunately Mir: Glass. 8 gentleman and a law-abiding citizen. was unarmed. so that having no chance fense, his assailants feared to do more than double on him with their fists and we escaped the shock of another
 Csoyernor Conner has haen A most vo- ciferous advocate of the enforcement of law; his action toward his sons, who go about to beat people who do not rious breach of the peace and provoked what might easily have been a trag. edy, will be awaited with interest. In the meantime congratulations are due Editor Glass for his masterly self-re- straint in the circumstances and for his manly refusal to become a party to 6 street tragedy-enough of which. God knows, we have had here in the South.
 Right of OmaIal Criticism.
 Evergreen Courant.
 On last Saturday on a prominent street in Montgomery, two sons of Governor Conner assaulted F. F. Glass, down twice before he realized what they meant It Is stated that the as- sault was made because the Conner boys did not like the attitude of The though in recent months The Adver- tiser has contained nothing that could offend the Governor or his friends. In fact The Advertiser has always kept within the bounds of reason in its criticism of the policy of the Cover nor as q public official. Probably the Governors Hibel suit against The Ad. Vertiser, in which he was awarded the magnificent sum of cent, incensed the Conner boys to wreak personal ven- geance upon It's editor: The. Adver- that has criticised without reservation Governor Corners policy and his off, cial acts. Very few. of the State pa pers have failed to do so as our read CTS we'll know. The Courant has been casionally, and we shall continue to do SO. If the Conner boys propose to ehastise all the editors who have said things about their father, the Cover nor, they will have to make a pretty assault upon Mir. Glass will not deter this paper from saying what and when 1t pleases. We have a right to critt- else the acts of public officers and we shall do so when 1t appears to us right and proper to do so:
 4 Cowardly Assault.
 One of the most cowardly assaults that has been recorded in Alabama in . long while happened in Montgomery last Saturday when the two stalwart footers. met Mfr. Frank Glass, editor of The Montgomery Advertiser, on the street in front of the postoffice, and
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