The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-06
RESOLUTION 57I2.

if the jury should find against him, it does not justify this cartoon
 criticism of him for bringing
 libel suit against newspaper. This resolution. No. 5712, has nQth-
 ing to do with suppression of freedom of the press. HuddIcston will never get over the impression of him created by these cartoons and he is entitled to not only 100000 or S300,0O0 damages. but to
 additional heavy damages to pun
 ish lhis newspaper and stop such conduct in the future.,
 Mr. Nash spoke next for The Age Herald. "Gentlemen," he said. "the style of this case might mislead you. The plaintiff is given simply as George Huddleston. For four years this man had not been simply George Huddle- ston; he was Congressman Huddleston. He said, I am your official; I repre- sent the public 1 want your criticism and your advice.' He was no longer perfect right to criticize his public acts which it did not approve He himself had invited it.
 The AgeHerald owed this to its readers. Its readers had paid their money. They wanted their newspaper to~5ring to theirNattention the acts of their congressman.
 How are these cartoons made? A cartoonist is 8 man who can read something and learn something about mans acts and then express the in- formation he thus acquires in the form Of picture. The Age Herald was simply drawing pictures of the acts of their congressman. Look at the car toons. Every one of them is based upon some act of this public official.
 TIME TO CRITICIZE
 "When man voted against these
 war measures. wasn't it time to
 criticize hint We were all trying
 to get together to fight the war.
 While some of you boys of the jury
 were busy filling out your Gues-
 honnaires HuddlestOn was busy
 sending out to other young men
 thousands of copies of his speech
 against the whole draft law. He
 might as well have said to these
 boys, Don't go to war; don't fill
 out your questiOnnaire.' No doubt
 lot of young men were later put
 in jail for following the advice of
 their congressman. The AEe-Her-
 aid simply contends that these pie
 tures are fair and reasonable cOm-
 ment on the congressman's acts.
 "It was not only the right, but it was the duty of this newspaper to criticize these acts.
 Gentlemen, keep in mind all the time that Congressman Huddleston is the plaintiff in this suit. and not George Huddleston. He has come to Blount county to ask a jury to say to newspapers Don't you criticize any anything more that will keep these of- ficials from getting reelected"
 NO JUDAS AMONG YOU"
 MT. Russell spoke next for Huddle- ston. "Gentlemen," he said. CT be- lieve I address 12 stalwart men who are determined to do right and see that justice is done. l feel that I address this morning no Judas among you.
 The only question before you is Is Tie Age-Herald guilty of lbeling George Hud- dlestol; was The Age-Herald justified in these publications?' George Huddleston is d native of the grand old state of Ten nessee. He has. led a blameless life. Can you believe that man with this record, who has reached the age of 50 years, can be guilty of treason?
 George HuddleSton sees from no mar pw horizon, wpile The Age-Herald looks upon world affairs from it's little. nar- row Fifth avenue horizon A greater man has never been horn than the man who is faithful to his duty I don't care whether he be a man who is blowing on the hill- SANtS VI io ViiC tl tIlC great
 MILLIONS OPPOSED WAR
 ''No, The Age-Herald didn't believe these things about George Huddleston when they were publishing them Why, there were thousands and millions of men who We're opposed to the war when we first entered it. There is vast difference betwcen fair and just criticism and abuse and defamation. There is a cartoon of d hTr i,,+ +I,o nII nesse,., the state of Andrew Jackson. The newspapers os his day tried to destroy Andrew Jackson too, but they couldn't do il.
 "A man that will assassinate the char acter Of citizen is a dangerous man, Such man can be stopped only by the fear of punishment. They say George Huddleston shculd do what The Age Herald says. I thank God that he will not do what The Age-Herald says It hasn't the high, lofty view of world affairs; it's horizon is Fifth avenue
 George Huddleston will represent The Age-Ilarald in the halls of the American Congress far better than it could do it itself if they will let him alone. A news paper which cannot draw the proper line of demarkation ought to go to school for moral aa1 intellectual conduct IN SPANISH WAR When the snanish-American war broke put where was George Huddleston and where was The Age-Herald? Huddleston was fighting for his country, while not single man connected with The Ago Herald was doirg so, so far as the testi- nony Eere shows There is the contrast. That shows who was the patriot Libel and s;ander ere as closely related 10 malice as the parents to the child.
 What does it mean to call man i oolshavik? You have heard the testimony nere. You know what bolshevsS is and hope you gentlemen will teach this Age Herald never again to call blameless native son of Tennessee that name.
 Gentlemen, you have an opportunity that may never come to you again, to give your approval or disapproval to as- sassination of character and to set an example so Nigh that all men can see And when you give your disapproval don't mean any little few thousand dol lars l mean von should make an example for every newspaper in this country You can't defame mans public character without defaming his private character They are\pseparable-
 VERDICT OF VOTERS
 "A jury of Jefferson county has all ready cast a verdict on this. There were l3.000 jurors and nearly 5000 of them voted for George Huddleston. But there are 100000 people in Jefferson county. What do the rest of them think of George Huddleston? How have these libeis injured him with all those peo- pie? That is the question you are called upon to answer.
 If the Age Herald had had no nal ice these cartoons and these articles