The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-10-06
VANCE 'CORMICK
FACES $4,000
LIBEL SUIT
jeremiah O'leay Wants to Know
if Eyphenism is lihelOus
OlEARY ASSERTS LOYALTY
Litigation Grows Out of Plaintiffs
Recent Message to President
Wilson.

New York, Oct. 6.-Vance c. Nc
Cormick, chairman OF the democratic
national committee, announced late
yesterday that he had been served
with a summons in suit for $4,000
brought against him by jeremiah A.
O'Leary, president of the American
truth society" Mr Mccormack said
he had not been apprised, however, of
the charges upon which the suit was
based. Mr.. O'Leary, in a statement
issued soon afterward, declared that
his purpose in instituting the action
was "to find out first, whether hyph-
enism, so called, is libellous, and sec
ond, whether it is inconsistent with
Americanism.
Mr. OLeary said he rescented a
statement attributed TO Mr.. MeCor-
mick, criticizing him for sending an
insulting message to President VIII
son. In that message Mr. O. Leary crit
cized the president for mot enforc-
ing American rights against Great
Britain" and informed Mr.. Wilson
that he would not vote for the re
election Of the president. Mr., Wilson
said that he would feel deeply morti-
fed to have you (OLeary) or any
body like you vote for me- adding,
since you have access to many dis
loyal Americans and have not. | will
ask you to convey this message to
them
In the statement attributed to Mr.
Mccormick appearing Wednesday and
upon which Mr.. O'Leary said he based
his suit for libel. the chairman of the
democratic national committee was
quoted as having commented upon the
presence of Charles +. Hughes at the
Union League club reception Tuesday
night, concluding with the statement
that there could be no doubt about
Mr. Hughes position because of his ST.
lence on the message sent to the pres
ident by Mr.. OLeary.
Mr.. OLeary gave out last night the
following: My purpose in suing Mr.
Mccormick is TO find out first, wheth-
er hyphenism so called is libelous,
and second, whether it is in consistent
with AmeTicanism. | also sue him as
a challenge to him to let an American
jury decide whether a protest to the
president because he has no tenforced
American rights against Great Britain
is disloyalty. ! also resent the hid
eous imputation contained in his
statement that any man running for
public office could repudiate my
vote, or the votes OF millions of my
fellow-citizens who think as do. A
citizens loyalty TO his country is not
a proper part of a political campaign.
and therefore | feel that it is wrong
to assert it politically because 1t !
strikes at the fundamentals of our
"What righ would Charles f.
Hughes have to repudiate me? What
right has he to repudiate any voter
who would vote for him? | yield to
Mr.. Mccormick his right to support
Mr. Wilson and to vote for Mr. Wilson
and no matter how faithIess ! believe
Mr.. Wilson has been in protecting
American lives. property and com
meroe, | would never assert that he
was disloyal because he supported
Mr Wilson and differed from Mr..
Hughes"
John r. Jones, counsel for Mr..
O'Leary, declared that Mr. OLeary
"also intends to begin other libel suits
against newspapers throughout the
country which have questioned his
right and abused him for sending
what he considered to be perfectly
proper telegram to the president of
the United States