The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-17

| What is known as the House cOntro-
versy, out of which has developed a
disagreement. not to say quarrel, be-
tween Attorney General Dawson and
Governor Stubbs. has brought out
some very interesting points. both legal
and political.
In the first place, let it be under
stood that the state journal is inclined
to the opinion that in the end Mr..
House will probably be obliged to tell
where he saw this liquor sold openly
over the bar i'll certain unknown
town in some unknown county.
It. of course. may perhaps develop
that j. f. Fl. has decided that the
liquor was dispensed in a club. or IN
some private capacity. in such a man
ner that he believes that he would vio-
late the prophecies by telling what he
knows This, however, is unlikely
Furthermore. in as much J. F. H.
made the assertion. as it is understood,
that the liquor was to his knowledge.
sold openly over the bar in violation of
the law. thereby giving the inference
that Governor Stubbs. Attorney Cen
eral Dawson and the local authorities
were not enforcing the law in certain
localities it is probably up to him,
having made this assertion. to prove it
if court demands the evidence.
However. that is not the point this
paper wishes to raise at this time,
but here it is: The lawyers in COM
mon with others do at times try
to slur reporters and newspapers when
they think they can make a point by
SO doing. however worthy their mo-
10
If the Lawrence mayor. Mr. Bishop,
the attorney who questioned Mr. House
yesterday. is correctly reported, this is
what he said:
Was that merely a newspaper ar
ticle written out of fabrication or is
it true that you were entertained at
a club where beer was openly sold over
a bar2'
Mr. Bishop here goes out of his way
to reflect upon newspapers, implying
mat serious articles are written out OF
fabricat ton and not based upon facts
If Mr.. Bishop had ever been init
mately acquainted or associated with
the average newspaper office. he
would know that the editors of news
papers, with the rarest exceptions, use
their most strenuous efforts to get at
the facts and to present them to their
readers in the most accurate manner
possible This may not coincide with
the ideas of Mr.. Bishop and some other
readers of newspapers. but it is never
theless true
Be it known that the greatest Of
tense that a reporter can present to
his city editor. or to the management
of the newspaper with which he is /
connected is to bring in a story which
is untrue He may be imposed upon, |
but if the reporter deliberately writes /
out fabrication as a fact, he should /
be discharged by the paper as un-
worthy Of the responsible position
which he holds.
Furthermore, in reply to the i'm
piled criticism of newspapers by Law |
yer Bishop, this should be noted by the |
reader:
No reputable newspaper man will
write up a fabrication with a view of
passing it off as a fact. If Mr. Bishop /
does not know this to be true, he is
herewith informed. Furthermore, as
do. sometimes. misrepre-
sent the facts. the class of people to
which Mr.. Bishop himself belongs, at |
torneys, are responsible probably more |
than any other class of citizens with |
whom the reporter comes into con- |
tact
Here are the proofs, and lawyers |
know they are the proofs. In case after |
case filed in the courts. the lawyer
presents in his petition favoring his |
client as facts, things which he either |
knows are not true, or he has good |
reason to believe may not be true. The |
State Journal has discussed this with |
lawyers at different times, and asked /
them why they put into their legal
statements assertions which they know
positively are untrue, or which they
have good reason to think may not be
true.
The reply of the lawyer almost in
variably is. if he deigns to make re
ply that he is taking a chance and |
stating as a fact in his case that when |
may turn out to be an error. Time |
and again newspapers print statements
made up from lawyers petitions or
briefs of their own cases, and. the pa
per is confronted after they appear in |
print, with an assertion from a, party |
that what the paper print I
ed is wholly untrue. And yet, the pa
per printed merely a transcription from |
a legal document. which of all things, /
should state facts.
Here is another interesting point
brought out in this discussion. Gov
arnor Stubs in a letter to the attorney
general seems to direct him to bring
his action before some court or JUS
tice who is known to be friendly to
the governors side of the contention.
isn't this rather remarkable? General
Dawson says in his letter to the gov
ernor today, you admonish me to
bring this proceeding before some
Justice of the peace friendly to the en-
torcament of the prohibitory law