The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-03-24
RADICAL STEP IN LIBEL AND'
SANDER LAW PROPOSED
Senator Speicher Wants Both Of
lenses Within Cognizance Of
Criminal Law.

A radical step in the institution of
statute law relating to SANDER and libel
in MARYLAND depends upon the passage
or rejection of a bill introduced in the
Senate Monday by Senator Speicher of
Garrett county. The proposed bill, for
the first time in this state, makes libel
and SANDER a criminal offense, and pun
ishable as such with heavy fines or i'm
prisonment, or both, the bill following
closely the Pennsylvania law for pun
isnment of these offenses. The meas
ure adds for this purpose four new sec
tons to article q of the Code of Public
General Laws, title Grimes and Pun
ishments, to follow section $50 and to
be known as sections 651, 652, 653 and
654.
Senator Speicher's interest in having
the criminal law take cognizance of
libel and SANDER, instead of leaving the
only resource of the plaintiff IN this
state to the civil law, is to some extent
the result of the last legislative cam
palgn in Garrett county,.
The proposed law is sweeping in char
acter. 1t includes a clause which will
cover specifically black hand case,
which at present can only be prosecuted
under the charge of conspiracy. 1t
provides against furnishing or sending
to newspapers libellous statements, and
the publishing of posters and cartoons
directed against political candidates ex-
cept under certain restricted conditions.
Finally, it prohibits anonymous COM
munications of a libelous or scurrilous
nature.
Article 651 provides that the author
of malicious and defamatory libel. tend
ing to blacken the memory of one who
is dead, or the reputation of enc who is
alive, or the author Of a letter threat
ening bodily injury or destruction of
property shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor, and on conviction shall be SEN
fenced to pay fine of not more than
81, 600 nor less than 81, 900, or undergo
imprisonment not exceeding three years
nor less than II months. or both.
Article 652 provides that any person
wilfully stating, delivering or transmit
ting, by any means whatever, to the
manager, editor, publisher or reporter
OF any newspaper, magazine. etc, any
libelous statement concerning any per-
son or corporation shall also be guilty
of misdemeanor, for which the same
penalties as in the foregoing section
may be imposed.
Section 653 in regard to the vilifica-
ton of candidates for public office pro-
vides that:
whoever writes, prints, posts. or
distributes, or causes to be written,
printed, posted or distributed, a circu-
lar or poster, cartoon or other written
or printed paper, which is designed or
tends to njure or defeat any candidate
for nomination or election to public Of
flee bv rejecting upon his personal char
acter or political actions, unless the
the same shall be published in news
paper avowedly responsible therefor,
or unless there appears upon such cir
cular, poster or paper, in conspicuous
place, either the names of the chairman
and secretary, or at least the names of
two officers of the political or other or
ganization issuing the same, or the
name of some duly registered elector
with description of his election district,
as responsible therefor, snail be punish
ed by fine not exceeding $500 or less
than $500, or by Imprisonment IN Jail
not exceeding one year or less than six
months, or both; and if the statements
are untrue the person so offending shall
also be deemed guilty of libel and may
be prosecuted in the civil or criminal
courts, or both.