The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-02-16
Personal Feeling Against Ger
tain Newspapers, With Mis-
taken Understanding Of
Speech. Nearly Fatal.
DRAFT REC0MMITTED
WITH ALL AMENDMENTS
President Of State Press AssO-
citation and Sponsor for the
Bill, Bernalillo Representa-
tive, Fights Hard to Save 1t.
gstatc Capital nnrcau
(Of Evening Herald.
(5I DE tarnaa Hotel.

tO4 Evening Herald.
(5l De tarEas Hotel.
santa Re. y. ~. Feb te.--An ef-
fort TO pass the Montoya libol bli
which was a special order for this
morning In the house. resulted Ia
complete failure and the bIn was
saved from immIaent death by
motion to recommit after numerous
amendments had been prused, among
them one b. Judge Mann which
changed the penalty clause Of tho
Dill from maximum fine OF t3.00e
and SIX months In the county jall, g.
maximum me Of 5000 or nvc
years In the peuitentlary. OF fUth. IN
the discretion OF tho court. In call
ing up the bin Mr. MOutoya made a
lengthy speech In support OF Il. stat
ing that ali the press OF the state de-
sires was square deal and that the
principal effect OF the Dill upon the
present law was to change the venue
10 a. TO stop the old system OF per.
secution against newspaper by
bringing suit against il IN .any num-
Der Of counties and limiting action
Tor libel either 10 the county In which
the llbeious publication Is made or In ,
which the person libelled lives.
Mr.. MontOya tHought. when ~
called up the hiii 'tnut hn haa enepu
votes to pass II and II seems prahab!t
that he had, 0ut hts speech was uenir-
what strong and he gave some Of liii.
mcubers of the house the impreraiDn
that the press of the state. spcakinN
through him. as the president ~ tdr
state press association, was demand
ing the passage OF the bili under the
penalty OF the censure OF the presf
and threat OF It's power Mr.. Mon
toya certainly Intended 10 give NJ
such Impression but that was the
general idea certain ~ the member
gathered from his remarks and th5
impression changed some votes
These. coupled with those members
OF The house who are carncat ndvo-
Gates 0t the present muxzie iaw gave
sufficient votes 10 kin the bill and il
eventually Was saved b. tae Demo.
cratic minority who stayed with then
agreement To support the bili By %
statement OF Judge Mann that he IA.
vored the Dill with heavy penalty
clause. aud by timely motion by
Mr.. Blood OF Las Vegas. to recommit
II with all The amendments to Mr
Montoya's committee on printing.
This action Was taken after AR Mars
, tinez OF Taos had made violent at
tack on the Dill and had forced tWo
motions to table H. The personal
opposition OF certain members OF ths
house to individual newspapers ne
ures largely In the opposition 20 the
bill.
When Mr.. Montoya had nnished hif
, opening speech his colleague. the
Honorable Modesto G. Ortiz. OF Bcl
nallllo county. arose and solemnil
pronounced the old libel law goOo
enough Tor him. Modesto said tho
press OF the state feared the old law.
!. lie said that under the Law as pro-
!, posed reporter might hide behind
a claim OF ignorance. There are re-
liable newspapers ia New Mexico.
said Mr. Ortiz. and THERE are also
/, two or three Knockers wbo ARE sight-
!, Ing the people of this state. The
: newspaper men are seeking 80 dDdg'
= responsibility aud they should not D,
: permi1Sed TO do so,'
n JudTe Mann al this point oitcree
/. his anne idment on the poaalty an,
= Mr. Muilens of chaves county, move,
N 10 table the amendment The Mn
lens motion was tabled on motion
[ OF Martinez. of Taos, ana AIT. Cha,eI
nj Luna. of Valencia. voted TO tahh
the whole proposition. This motto
IF was lost by the close vote OF - 10 80
.u speaking la support OF his amcnu
ment. Judge Mann likened himself q
m the man who had been asked Niethi
K he preferred 10 go 10 heaven or hci'
In lie was Ia "A peculiar situation, H
an said. having friends Ia both places
X Judge Mann agreed TO tac power 20
the press that Il should not oe mns
Al zied and that Il should have a.
he right to express itself legitimaten O.
q, llecausc OF that power. ae said
Id abuses thereof should be risidiy pfp
hiblted II am willing that the ia'
of libel should be made more iibei
cd al" said judge Mann, ''and ! ni
o. supporting this OH. but I am not
,ss favor Of no penalty at all or Of
rs light penalty This law will not b.
on me. nor win mote rigid law A.
ay Thing else that may be said about ~
NJ. BY the newspapers Of THE state wasil
ia merely be vain repetition. The new
,al papers have even llkened me 90
on corkscrew. but the ATTACKS upcn %
have not hurt me and 4 am sfntet