The daily morning oasis., 1919-08-13
CLEAR The NAME
OF HENRY FORD.
Do Not Destroy His Value to the
World by Branding Him
An Anarchist.
JURY HEARD STRONG PLEA
Tribune Counsel Replied Ford's
Utterances, Not Character,
Were Object of Attack.

MI. Cl0n0lS, MlCus, aug. . nv
jury in the Ford-Tribune libel suit
heard Henry Ford discussed from the
standpoint of neighbor, farmer, me-
chanic and humanitarian, and then
heard the legal aspects of the Trib-
une's defense on the closing day OF
the thirteenth week of the trial.
Attorney John Weeks of Ford
counsel drew a detailed picture of
Henry Ford's early years, his long
period of poverty, labor and prepara-
ton, his rise to wealth, to sudden
doubling of the wages of his men, his
constant philanthropies, his dynamic
power to energize whole cities eco
nomically.
HE did not gain his wealth by ex-
plotting the public or his workmen,"
said the attorney. ellis ideal has
been to help make people prosperous
and happy, and he is too valuable to
this community where he was born
and reared, too valuable to his fellow
men, for you to bring damning ver-
dict against him.
Henry Ford, with all his wealth,
with all his possibilities for doing
good, with all the success that his
own efforts have brought him, will be
poorer than the poorest man in this
court room If you send him out OF
here stigmatized with the shameful
brand, an anarchist
''If Henry Ford is an anarchist, i
wish his brand of anarchy were cpl
demic. wish others of our rich men
would catch it. 1 wish distracted
Russia could have some of it today.
wish Henry Ford's peculiar 'anar-
chy' and constructive genius could be
lput to work rehabilitating the CEN
trail empires. The world has been
waiting for such spirit to adjust its
affairs.
Henry Ford is not an anarchist;
he is a pacifist. Gentlemen of the
jury, when the question of armament
and militant attitude for the United
States was before you for settlement,
how did you vote? This district sent
back to Congress by a large majority
a congressman who had stood flat
footed against the militarist clamor
in the United States in 1915 and
1916.
every man to his task is good
rule, yet Tribune counsel calls this
mechanic and farmer to the stand
and questions him on history, on lit
erature and on anything except that
which he knows best. If you should
apply to these lawyers the same kind
of test that they applied to Henry
Ford, if you were to put them on
your farms, they would starve to
death. Oliver Cromwell could not
fathers of our own liberties made
their marks with the hilts of the
swords
eff you find Henr. Ford an anar-
chist you will absolutely destroy his
usefulness as citizen and stamp him
as unfit for the society of his fellow
men. / ask lou, gentlemen, never to
consent that Henry Ford's kind of
human endeavcr be halted by an ad-
verse judgment. Vindicate his good
name. Rebuke the spirit that seeks
to destroy him."
Horace K. Tenney, one of the most
brilliant members of the Tribune
counsel, followed Mr.. Weeks with N
admirable address on the legal points
of the Tribune's case.
in
versy," said Mr.. Tenney, "is the right
of free speech. It is the right which
Mr.. Ford claims, it is the right on
which we rely, but the right of ex-
preston involves the right of COM
ment, when a man expresses his
views publicly upon public question,
and in your opinion his views are
those of an anarchist, it is your right
to express your own opinion of his
statements. The other side seems to
have overlooked the distinction be-
tween attacking mans private char
acter. and attacking his opinions.
Milford exercised toward his op-
ponents on the question of national
preparedness the same right of fair
comment which the Tribune exercised
toward him. The term anarchist was
used to sum up all the Tribune's crit
icfsm of and opposition to Henry
Ford's opinions. 1t must be under
stood as it was intended by the
writer who was seeking to convey the
criticism Was the Chicago Tribune
which knew Henry Ford as the cre-
ator of a great property, charging
him with starting a propaganda that
would deprive him of his wealth and
destroy his achievements? No, the
term was not used in that sense. The
word anarchist has other signih-
cances.'
Judge of Probate E. Neil Reed Of
Mt. Clemens, counsel for Henry Ford,
and William T. Hosner of Tribune
counsel also addressed the jury,
1t is expected that the case will go
to the jury about the middle of its
fourteenth week.