Court Opinion

ID: 9725233
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 11:36:17.252223+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:12.758177
License: Public Domain

Cutter, J.
(dissenting). The declaration /reveals that when the article was published an election was in progress. It is apparent from the declaration that this was a summary account in a newspaper concerning the efforts of each of two candidates for office to publicize the voting records of his adversary. The statement contains no suggestion that the plaintiff is not of good character or that he has engaged in unethical or unconscionable conduct. Cf. Ingalls v. Hastings & Sons Publishing Co. 304 Mass. 31, 33-34; Stanton v. Sentinel Printing Co. 324 Mass. 13, 15. The article states at most an appraisal, as a matter of opinion, of votes cast by the plaintiff which were matters of public record. The article does not make it wholly clear whether the appraisal of the plaintiff’s votes was that of the plaintiff’s adversary or that of the author of the article. Such an appraisal in the course of an election campaign properly comes within the principle of cases such as Aldrich v. Boyle, 328 Mass. 30, 32, and Poland v. Post Publishing Co. 330 Mass. 701, 704, which hold that the pendency of an election campaign may be taken into account in considering the probable effect upon the community of a statement about a candidate. See also Adams v. Clapp, ante, 245, 248-249. The Poland case shows that the principle is applicable whether the comment is made by a political adversary or by a newspaper performing its important function of reporting and commenting upon public and political affairs. Because of the healthy public skepticism concerning even more extreme statements in such an election period, as part of a customary type of political appeal and comment (see Aldrich v. Boyle, 328 Mass. 30, 32), this article should not be regarded as likely to injure the plaintiff’s reputation in the community. To treat such an article as not defamatory would be consistent with the public interest in freedom of responsible discussion during an election campaign, a free*657dom likely to be considerably restricted if such general comments may be regarded as defamatory. Accordingly, I would affirm the orders sustaining the demurrers.
Mr. Justice Spalding authorizes me to state that he concurs in this opinion.