Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1913-10-06
LATIMER FULFILLs DUTY
AS AN "HONEST EDITOR"
Former New London Editor Makes
Amends to Attorney General.
Especial to The, Rulletfn.) )

L
Washingt On, Oct. 5-'What would
an honest editor do?" was the question
asked by the attorney general in a
letter to the editor of the New Lon
don Telegraph. On the basis Of an
+ erroneous news despatch which mis-
represented the attorney general, he
had been scored in the editorial col
umnS of this newspaper. Develop
mcnts clearly showed that an injustice
had been done Mr. McReynolds; there
fore the question of what would be
the course of an honest editeT under
the circum mSt3nceS.
Frederick P. Latimer responded to
the question admitting responsibility
for the unfairly critical article. AS an
| honest editor he declared his shame
of authorship: ascribed it to unhappy
conditions which made his work
wild" at the time subscribed to the
theory that he should make amends in
the columns Of the New London Tele-
graph, but-Mr. Latimer no longer
owns the paper SO. although he can
not carry TO the logical conclusion his
sense of what is proper for an honest
editor" he viii do the best he can, and
write an "amende honorable" which
he will offer to the new editor of the
Telegraph. in the expectation that it
will be printed over his signature. He
promises 10 do the best he can as sn
'hOnest x-editor' to rectify the er-
rOrs in judgment of an honest edi-
tor"
Attorney General AIcReynolds in the
news despatch which misrepresented
him. was reported as giving gratuitOus
advice to the state of Connecticut, sug-
gesting that the state authorities
should sail into the management of
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad and find criminal indiCt-
ments against each and every one of
them charginG murder or homicide or
nt rio OTeiy TI0O SIR
of responsibility for the frequent and
appalling fatal wrecks that have re-
Gently occurred along the system. 1t
was on this basis that Editor Latimer
wrote an excoriating editorial in the
New London Telegraph, the giSt of
which was N intimatiOn that he mind
his own ps and as attend to his own
tattin, direct federal inQuisitiOns and
legal prosecutions, and leave the state
of Connecticut and its authorities and
people to guide their own destinies
without his aid and consent.
The attorney general wrote to the
editor Of the Telegraph, when it was
shown in latGr news dispatches that
he had not given gratuitOus advice to
the state of Connecticut. and had bSen
minding his own business. The reply
came promptly from Mr. Latimer and
reads.
7 am indebted to you for your ia
vor of Oct. 1st relative to the edi-
tOTial which I wrote upon the basis of
a news story which I accepted at its
face value.
An honest editor would tell you
that he is heartily ashamed of himself
and he would acknowledge as much in
his newspaper.
L lost my ownership in the Tele-
graph last week and am no longer
connected with the publication. The
circumstances We're very unhappy for
me and my editorial work was for
some DAYS pretty wild If you knew
YOU would readily forgive me.
,.rsssI have written a letter to the Tele-
graph which will speak for itself A
copy will be forwarded to you tomor-
row"
Mr., Latiners reply is dated Oct .,
and ne subscribes himself Sincerely
yOITs 3"