The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-18
SOLICITOR TAKES EXCEPTIONS
 TO NEWSPAPER COMMENT

ANE0 GANEE AOIN0
 TO NEWSPAPER COMMENT
 Solicitor Joseph R. Tate denies in state- ment published in The Age-Herald today that he advocated mob violence to stop indecent and immoral conduct by automobile parties in the rural districts of Jefferson county.
 Mir. Tate says flatly he was misquoted. When and where have we heard that before? Ever since newspapers have been in existence public officials who make foolish or un- guarded statements, which they regret, have laid the blame on reporters. All three of the local newspapers attributed the same express sion to Solicitor Tate. That is fair test of reportorial accuracy, assuming that each papers representative heard what he said.
 In commenting editorially on Mir. Tate's unusual announcement, at a time when mob violence was of frequent occurrence in Bir- mingham, The Age-Herald assumed that he didn't really mean what he said but spoke in his haste. No attack made the solicitor, because he is known to be zealous in upholding the law It was taken for granted that in thoughtless moment he had made an utterance which, after due deliber. ation, he would have expressed otherwise. the press has been unfair to him, that is another matter. From President Harding down, there is no officeholder in this country who will not be criticised by the press, if he
 
 are no exception to the rule.
 Solicitor Tates communication may be read in full elsewhere in The Age-Herald. He says in part:
 My attention has been called to of the
 items and comment in the in regard to what
 lad to say concerning the immoral conduct
 homes of people in the rural parts of the county
 and the constructions placed thereon contending that had advocated violence and had
 advocated rough treatment of people guilty of such
 immoral conduct. In the first place. what did = say anything like that published. In the r second place, public road" Hove making in auto sssa mobes.r tspooning in automobiles,' masked bands" and masked commttee' not toned. and violence advocated, encouraged. intended to be encouraged The ~sruction placed what said Is unreason- e-~ able and far-fetched The idea that they should conclude that I advocate violence is ridiculous. It is the newspapers that have changed indecent
 and immoral conduct" lovemaking in automo- piles" and "spooning in automobiles" They put the mask the committees and have hcralded to
 the world that the solicitor of this county stands
 for violence. who has his lifes in trying to uphold the law. while they have done all they could dscredit and bring him into dsre- pute and destroy his usefulness officer and
 citizen They misquote and misrepressnt me-
 writing they please. They have the advantage
 It is their but want to cali their attention
 their wful and deliberate adyocation of
 violence, as printed by the Tribune (Tampa) and
 copied by The e-Herald.
 When will newspaper readers learn that everything printed in newspaper whether a dispatch from Petrograd, letter to the edi- tor" and quotation from some other news paper, is not an expression of it's own edir torial opinion? MT. Tate's assertion that tho press of Birmingham has encouraged violence is equally preposterous with his charge that he is the victim of discrimination and perse- cution because he is public official and is trying to uphold the law. The editorial which aroused MT. Tate's ire did not accuse him of preaching lawlessness. No office holder in his right mind would do that It stated, however, that the remarks attributed to him might lead to mob violence, by tempt ing people to take the law into their own hands.
 Mir. Tate says, Because I advised commit tees to cooperate and endeavor to break up (referring to automobile immortality the newspapers have fit to say that have been advocating mob violence"
 Under what authority would these commit tees of citizens act? Who would say whether they were to be armed or not? Would they try to break up the practice complained of by singing hymns. or using whips. guns or