or to hold
him up as an object of hatred, scorn, ridicule or contempt.

Slander is malicious defamation by speech or oral language; hence the
newspaper writer has no especial concern for the law relating to it,
further than to remember one general principle--that the law of libel is
much stricter than the law of slander. Thus, one may apply to another
_orally_ words of personal vituperation and abuse that would not render
him liable in a suit for slander, but which if published of another in a
newspaper would be libelous and actionable.

The definition of libel here given is broad enough to cover all the
experiences of the newspaper office. But the character of defamatory
publication that is brought within its scope is best shown by the
language of the courts in individual instances.

ACTIONABLE LANGUAGE

Language in writing has been held to be actionable _per se_ which
"denies to a man the possession of some such worthy quality as every man
is _a priori_ to be taken to possess"; "which _tends_ to bring a party
into public hatred or disgrace"; which "tends to degrade him in
society"; which "tends to expose him to hatred, contempt or ridicule";
which "reflects on his character"; which "imputes something disgraceful
to him"; which "throws contumely and odium on him"; which "tends to
vilify him"; which "tends to injure his character or diminish his
reputation"; which is "injurious to his social character"; which "shows
him to be immoral or ridiculous"; which "induces an ill opinion of him";
which "detracts from his character as a man of good morals"; which
"imputes to him a bad reputation" or "degradation of character" or
"ingratitude," and "_all defamatory words injurious in their nature_."

Each of the following terms charged on one personally in writing or in
print has been adjudged in one or more reported cases to be libelous and
actionable, namely:

That he was a "villain"; "liar"; "rogue"; "rascal"; "swindler";
"drunkard"; "informer"; that he was the author or the publisher of a
libel or slander; that he was a "libelous journalist"; "a hypocrite, and
using the cloak of religion for unworthy purposes"; "an imp of the
devil"; "a miserable fellow it is impossible for a newspaper article to
injure to the extent of six cents"; and "that the community can hardly
despise him worse than they do now"; that he had paid money to procure
an appointment to an office; that he had received money for offices;
that he had b