The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-28

the reader will pardon the propriety
exercised in publishing a few of these
personal expressions.
The Chicago Tribune writes:
1.-The result of the Crawford libel
suit is a great victory, a victory for
honest Journalism and a confirmation
of the right of newspapers to their
function of protection to the public.
Congratulations"
The editor, Charles Hopkins Clark,
of the Hartford, Conn, Courant,
writes:
Congratulations. You have rem
dered a real public service
He mails a clipping from his paper
of Tuesday, March 25. in which ap-
pears the following editorial headed,
..For the Public:"
FOR THE PUBLIC.
THE suit brought by certain theater peo-
pie in Topeka against L. Z. MacLennan
Of the State Journal has already been men
pronounced the electric wiring in the theater
dangerous to the public safety. The State
Journal published the fact. ThereupOn
| modest sum of $4,000. 1t was shown that
| the report was an official document, and,
| strated that after the publication and the
repairing of the wires the attendance at
| the theater exceeded that before the pub
| LEGATION.
"A long trial ensued and it has ended.
as it seemed to us could only end, in
complete justification of the paper. The
one charge the compliments could make
was that the theater managers had with
| Journal and that. therefore, this revelation
| of an official document was an act of
spite. The jury were unanimous i'll their
/ To- Ia ~ TlNrn hnf ion of hA tor
| of the paper in making the publication was
| justifiabe. 1t was. indeed, more than
| jUstifiabe; it was commendahle. The peo-
| pie of Topeka are safer today by reason
of the position taken by the paper"
| The editor of the State Journal is
acutely aware that during continu-.
GUS daily publication of a newspaper
in this community for thirty-three
years he has gathered in his trail,
barking at his heels, a large number
of pestiferpus and persistent enemies.
Happily he has also supporting him a
wonderfully loyal newspaper staff,
editorial. reportoria1 and mechanical.
and other friends that are as staunch
and true as others are base and bitter
Yesterday was a strenuous day for
the writer, who is the defendant in the
libel suit now on in the District Court
and who was in attendance at the
trial thruout the morning and after
noon. This being true, there has been
tsome curiosity expressed to know
what time this defendant found to
write a report of the proceedings COW
ering two and half columns, and
how it was that the suit. being a seri-
! Gus one asking for $4,000 DANA ges
from him, he could sprinkle the re-
port with pleasantries. In reply to
these queries there is this to be said:
The writer likes to get up early in
1 the morning and often before 9
O'Clock, the regular hour for conven-
ing court, he accomplishes a large
tamount of work. All of yesterdays
ARTICLE was written yesterday, a con-
siderable part of it early in the morn
ing, another part during the noon re-
cess between - o'clock and 1880. and
portions of it were written in the
morning and in the afternoon in the
courtroom. the writer listening with
his ears to the testimony and writing
with his fingers or debating the story
in question.
In reference to the pIeasantries: it
would be impossible for the writer to
stand up under these long drawn out.
tedious, eXasperating lawsuits, the two
involving $4,000. unless he had a
sense of humor. could at times throw
) off the serious aspect of the trials and
get a listle fun out of the prosaic pro-
= ceedings.
There is an old saying which says:
. Laugh and the world laughs with
you; weep and you weep alone" Fur
thermore, this paper does not wish to
make its columns lugubrious. Its mis-
sion is to entertain as well as inform,
and print a paper which will give
pleasure as well as information to its
readers.