"Swat the Publisher"
Newspapers in general, and contentious newspapers in particular, keep a wary eye out for the law of libel and usually steer a safe course outside the three mile limit. A libel case, a good one, is a rarity among the larger papers of the country. But by a decision of a Justice of the New York Supreme Court last week, Mr. William Randolph Hearst and the Star Company will have to defend a libel suit for $1,000,000.
The suit was brought by no less, a person than the leader of Tammany Hall, Charles F. Murphy, Democratic Boss of New York City, who alleges that he is an honorable and upright man and that an editorial, published by the New York Evening Journal, in 1919, damaged his reputation in the amount stated ($1,000,000).
The laugh proves to be a little at Mr. Hearst's expense, if one troubles to consult the back files of the Journal. Two days after Mr. Murphy filed suit in 1919, the Journal published a second editorial:
"Boss Murphy has ordered his lawyers to begin suit for libel against Mr. Hearst.
"All because the Evening Journal printed an editorial about Boss Murphy's 7-million dollar British war contract.
"It was a very forbearing editorial, to tell the truth.
"We could have said much worse things about the Boss--and not libelled him, either.
"It is rather difficult to imagine how a newspaper would go about it to libel Boss Murphy. . . ."
It continued:
"We sincerely hope the Boss will not let his lawyers forget to press that libel suit. . . .
"We will cheerfully pay that expense [of defending the suit] for the privilege of getting the Boss in the witness chair and asking him a few questions. . . .
"It is an old, old trick to begin a libel suit a few days before election and drop it a few days after election. . . .
"In the meantime, while the Boss is making up his mind about our earnest request for him to go ahead with his libel suit, and not to quit after he starts, we repeat and re-emphasize our statements, which were:
"1--That Boss Murphy did enter into partnership with one Hartog in securing a British Government war contract.
"2--That Boss Murphy's influence with a Standard Oil subsidiary--the Corn Products Company--did enable his partner--(Hartog) to buy glucose from that concern by an evasion of the law.
"3--That Boss Murphy's influence with the Standard Oil subsidiary--the Corn Products Co.--was sufficient to stop the sale of glucose to Hartog when Hartog balked at demands for another 'financial arrangement.'
"4--That during the time Boss Murphy was interested in this fat British Government contract the Tammany men in Congress preserved a practically unanimous silence about Ireland, or about any other topic which the British Government felt sensitive about.
"And then we iterate and reiterate and emphasize and re-emphasize our declaration that we don't see how any Irish-American can vote for England's pardner, Boss Murphy, or for any of Boss Murphy's hand-picked candidates, and still be loyal to his kindred and to his blood, to the father who cared for him, to the mother who brought him into the world, and to the good cause of self-determination, freedom and independence for Ireland.
"You all know Boss Murphy's hand-picked candidates. Beat them!
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"It isn't the poor, hand-picked puppets you should go after. Go after Murphy, who hand-picked them.
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"Don't forget that British Govern-ment contract. It's all true. Murphy's libel suit is a four-flushing bluff. He knows it's all true. Remember that when you go to the polls.
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"Don't forget what Murphy's handy men did in Congress, while he had his secret partnership in that British Government contract. You can't get at them this time. But you can get at Murphy's other handy men. Beat them!
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"We will atten'd to Murphy and his libel suit in the court. You attend to him at the polls.
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"New York's too big and too intelligent to be bossed by Murphy. The thing isn't decent.
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"Say it over to yourself.
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"Shout it.
"SWAT THE BOSS!
"Sing it. Set it to music.
"SWAT THE BOSS !
"And go to the polls, every mother's son and daughter of you, and vote it!
"SWAT THE BOSS!"*
The Journal's wish, it seems, is to be granted although Mr. Hearst and the Star Company filed a demurrer to prevent the suit, and were overruled. It is an old, old trick to begin a libel suit before election and drop it afterwards. Apparently Mr. Murphy has some new tricks in his bag. Unless some further legal business intervenes, Mr. Murphy will have an opportunity to go before a jury, shouting, chanting, singing,
"SWAT THE PUBLISHER"
"One million dollars.
"SWAT THE PUBLISHER!"
*Several "Swat the Boss!'s" are omitted for lack of space.