South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-17
SOUTH BENDS PRIZE LIAR.

SUI III DF4N - IfkfLf A1AR.
Perhaps the most incorrigible liar
that South Bend ever had or ever will
have 20 deal with is the South Bend
Tribune. The only reason that IL is
not continually buried under an ava
lanche Of libel suits must be because
its reputation for truth, or attempting
10 be truthful, is so bad that nobody
believes It, and where there is no
faith in its assertions there can be no
damage. OF course, the Billy Sunday
enthusiasts. will continue for some
time 10 swear by it, lacking the news
paper acumen TO discern the none
tary righteousness involved in its cap
italizatiOn of the Billy Sunday meet
iEgs, but even they may some day
permit the scales TO fall from their
eyes sufficient TO discern that there is
truth, plain every day truth, capable
If being printed incident to the COM
mon happenings Of the day and out
side OF recital Of Billy Sunday ser
mons.
In evidence Of the Tribune's some
times malicious inaccuracies, atten-
port published by it this week about
Sheriff Charles Bailey planning to
dismiss Deputy Frank Niezgodzki
from his staff: another about Rep.
Charles y. Hagerty being already in
the race for the office OF joint repre-
sentative next year-an office that
does not exist,-and then last night,
fto F,ra1an rra,ra ricafior, NTH raepact
10 the disposition OF the Kitch libel
suit against this paper The state
ment that this paper had printed a
full retraction," can be chargeable
only to one OF two sources. namely;
either a downright disposition to lie
about 1t, or the authors gross ignOr-
ance OF the English language. There
was no retraction printed. 1t was not
understood that a retraction would be
printed. What was printed was an
explanation calculated TO remove
from the public mind. insofar as
possible, any misconstruction that
might have been placed upon the
wording or intent of The News Times
articles involved in the suit, as re-
fleeing upon the personal life or pro-
fessionaI career of Mr.. Kitch.
That explanation was plain. Our
contention has always been that we
had not, and had never intended any
ill-words regarding Mr.. Kitch, save
in his political activities, and those
in the sense of criticism, not of Mr..
Kitch personally, nor as a lawyer, but
of his conduct in political way We
retracted nothing. Our right to crit
icise campaign orators as TO their phi
losophy. mode OF debate, and of de-
Tense. we hold as inviolate as ever.
We concede, however. that these
things may be open TO criticism with
out the campaign orators profession
al or private life being bad. and not
having intended to convey any idea
that Mr.. Kitch was off color in
those respects, that we should seek
TO disabuse the public mind of any
1hisconception that it may have gain
ed in that direction by misconstrUc-
ton of what We had said, is only hon.
orable and fair.
There was no quarrel between this
paper and Mr.. Kitch personally. until
he began his libel suit. There was a
quarrel politically and that quarrel
still stands. We do not, however,
want anyone to misconstrue that TO
mean a belief on our part that his
private Of professional life is being
discounted by US. We hope we can
disagree with men politically without
even a. much as disrespecting them
personally; yes. and even have the
highest type Of respect for them in
those particulars. We do not know
whether that is possible with our con-
temporary or not. but it is with us
We have no apologies 10 offer for
the disposition made OF Mr.. Kitch's
suit, which. by the way was brought
for $4,000 instead of S1O,COO-just |
another evidence Of The Tribune's pos |
tive inability to get anything right |
The situation has been met fair and !
square and we anticipate that Mr.. |
Kitch Is quite as well satisfied as We |
The world will continue TO revoIve on |
its axis even II the outcome does not |
suit our contemporary sufficient for |
them 20 tell a modicum OF truth about |
1.-THE world has gone through such !
prevaricating antics. put on by il be !
fore, and il VII probably continue TO /
do so until the sanity Tribune.-has |
gathered it TO its bosom and bore it |
away on its wings TO eternal bliss.