The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-06

| r. III. D1 1 wet thermometer, ' a. m. .............. 49 I- hoou .....-.-................... 5l | D. m. ..s.'...................... 5i ings and it's articles are simply the
 expressions of individuals. A newspa-
 per is power for good or evil It ! depends on how it is conducted. But l there are not enough newspapers from l Maine to California to destyoy the char
 acter of George Huddleston. A noble | father and mother in the grand old
 state of Tennessee made the character | or George Huddleston indestructib1e." /" Judge kelton next addressed the jury l for the Age-Herald
 | "Gentlemen." he said "T hope you | will be patient to the end, for I realize | these long speeches are very trying on
 you. Mir Russell has told you that | some jurors slip into the box with | pedded feet, while others go in with 1 stalwart, open hearts. I take it he | thinks if this jury votes against him 1 he will forever look upon you as the | padded foot kind of jurors. I believe l you are all here to be fair. NO EVIDENCE OF MALICE Now there is not a particle of evil dence in the case of malice on the part of the Age Herald. I don't believe the members of this jury approve Mir. Hud- piCSton NoleS on war measures, put that would not necessarily mean you had malice against him personally A newspaper is entitled to draw conclu- sions from the acts of public officials record. That is a matter of right, and the right stilf exists even though wrong conclusions should be drawn from the acts.l
 of you give verdict against the AEe-Herald in this case you tell every newspaper In America that it must refrain from criticisinE public officials. That would he the
 greatest blow that could happen to our splendid democracy.
 "Why, they talk about Huddie-
 stOn's Spanish American war rec ord, representing him as return ing from Cuba with his sword dripping with blood, when. as matter of fact, he was down there
 In Miami, Fla, enjoying a nice va cation and never got any further. And today the patriotic bones of boys of the Age-Herald are resting under the sod of France
 PROTECTS KNIGHTS OF COLUMB "Huddieston saw the advantage of this House bill 67I2. He men tioned the Masons and Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias in his reso- lution. but it looks nightly to me like a cloak to protect the Knights of Columbus and Catholics, and
 hid for the Catholic vote of Jeff fersOn county. The hill Is repre- scented a serpent labeded T am STE; look up my pedigree.' Moth ing libeious in that. Don't you think 1t was worth looking up.
 George admits that President Will sons telegram cost him 15 or 20 per cent of the votes, and yet George hasn't sued the President. The only Age-Herald witness on the stand Mir. Stanley. surely must have impressed you with his fairness and the absolute freedom from personal malice of him self and the others connected with the Age-Herald against MT. Huddleston.
 MT Russell has said something about the point of view of The Age Herald and I want to call your atten- tion to the fact that for four years Mir. Barrett served confidential sec, retary to Speaker Crisp of the House of Representatives and he is in posi- tion to know pretty well what goes on and how things are done in Washing ton.
 MUST BE HURT LIKE H."
 CA Georgia lawyer once had a client he was defending for an ugly murder We must plead insanity he said and you have got to be crazy as h. When MT. Altman was told, to bring this suit as payment for his part in getting George elected he must have said to George. We will bring this suit for s1,3o0,o00 and your feelings must be hurt like h."
 The speaker then read some strik- ing sentences and extracts from Hud- dleston's speeches.
 "It was over the protest of this con- gressman.' he continued that we passed the selective service act, which made possible the tremendous victory of our heroes over the Hun. The rich and poor shared the glory alike. The poor man got as great honor as the rich" The speaker told a story and applied it by saying. tOh, yes. George recommended himself most highly"
 Tn circulating these speeches I don't know how he could have done it bet ter if he wanted to plan a rebellion in this country. His vote against the explosives bill itself was enough to outweigh all his votesrin favor of other bills, He gave as Vs excuse that some miner might he csuNht with six inches of fuse or some bov>hunting squirrels on the hillside might be caught under the law. How is that for an excuse for opposing a law to stop the blow ing up of our harbors, railroads and munitions plants? His votes warrant every criticism made of him."
 The court at this point ruled that counsel could not argue upon the merits of bringing the suit into the courts of Blount county from Jeffer- son.
 WASHWOMAN FOR STATE
 There has been something said here" Judge Kelton had remarked. about washing Jefferson county's po- litical linen here in our courts and putting us to this expense. We fur nish the washpot and soap, and if you give verdict to the plaintiff it will mean that any paper in the state that has two subscribers in Blount county they have only presented two Age Herald subscribers here as witnesses can bring it's suit in Blount county and we will become the washwoman for the> whole state"
 MT. Altman objected to this line of argument and Judge Steele ruled that it was entirely a matter for the court to decide upon Jurisdiction
 Judge Kelton concluded his argu- ment with an elouuent appeal to the jury to find for the defendant and court adjourned until 1 o'clock.
 At this time the courts figures showed that time occupied by counsel in arguments had been as follows:
 For Huddleston: Judge Weakley 70 minutes. Mir. Sloan S5 minutes, MT. Russell 65 minutes; total. TO minutes.
 For The Age-Herald Governor Mil Ter. S3 minutes. Mir. Nash 25 minutes. i