South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-18

court informed them that under the law they must
decide
First: Did the nevspape publish an untruth
Of character which. holding the plaintiff up
TO the hatred. contempt and ridicule Of his fell
lows could do him damage
Second. II you ind that the newspaper did
not publish such untruth. the verdict should
be right there. one Of mo OF action"
Third. n you find that the newspaper did
publish such untruth. then you must pro-
coed 70 assess the damages done the plaintin
taking into account his character. his reputa-
ton. and his business and likewise the wide
circulation the character. influence reputation.
and consequent damage-creative power of the
newspaper-the extent to which its accuse
ton believed and acted upon by those
whom IL reached
Fourth: The damage done 70 the plaintiff
must be 10 his reputation TO his feelings. 10
business; the q which the publish
ed article caused him to fall in the estimation
local citizen. and public man. of his
neighbors business associates, possible custo-
rners and his countrymen
Follow that line Of reasoning. and you get quite
distinctly what the dict of the Mt Clemens jury
First: The Chicago Tribune did publish an
unTuth about Mr.. Ford; he is
chist Notwithstanding that he has expressed
views on public questions not in keeping with
its general line OF policy"
Therefore. the Tribune was found guilty OF libel
civil libel and reprehensible but as only civil dam
ayes were asked, then:
Second: The worst that newspaper could do.
despite egotism, its wide circulation etc,
was damage 10 the extent OF six cents.
Not very good reputation for the worlds
greatest newspaper" either for truth or for It's
ability TO make the public believe that it spoken
the truth Mr.. Ford. the auto king" is much
bigger and Of s much better standing
munity and throughout the country. than is the
Chicago Tribune. that lie about him hard it
might, It could not injure him more than six cents
The sale of "hivversr appears to have gone
on quite unmolested by the libel; likewise Mr..
Fords good name and fame.-which TO have
stood quite mistaken with the jury notwithstand-
ing the seven weeks Tribune Efforts. through
clever lawyers to malign him, discredit him. stig-
Matte him. excoriate him. and in the jury
the belief that it was justified in what had said
Due the Tribunes "snakeiike" pro -Gernanisn.
previous to. and in spots during the war-and
since its chronic and INSCRIPTIONS service spec
ial interests and relation TO certain Of them; its
special interest Mexico. in regard to which Mr.
Ford had spoken adversely. and for which it call
ct names that caused the trouble:
ITS utter disregard Of truth the rights of others
when they general line OF policy"
an these things seem to have combined to destroy
public confidence in she sheet. So that
jury set up 70 decide its strength-found that 1t
worth exactly the price of a COCO cola plus the
war tax
The trial has served every purpose for which it
brought The Michigan has been
dictated He is a bomb thrower, nor a disbe-
lever in govemment-his own government.-even
though ne may doubt the propriety Of interfer-
ence i'm some other countrys lack of government,
in the case of Mexico, because of which the
anarchist" applied him. II is also proven
that the Tribunes slogan, the worlds greatest
newspaper'-is a fake and a fraud The people
haven't much confidence left in it. 1t can apply to
a maa the most opprobrius of epthets and it's
damaging power is only-siN cents. Nothing very
great" about that.
What concerns the world today is not who is TO