The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-03-21
An Cnc utional and Foolish Law.
The Alabama Legislature has passed q tax

An Tine on III utional and Foolish Law.
The Alabama Legislature has passed tar
law, of which one section reads:
l3. To keep news depot for one year, in
any city, town or village, for the sale OF any
newspaper, periodical or magazine. not in
cluding pictorials provided for in the preced-
ing paragraph, ten dollars.
So far, good; but the preceding paragraph
runs as follows:
II. To sell, OR expose for sale, for one
year, at any one place, any pictorial or illus.
trated weekly. or any monthly paper, period
ical, or magazine, published outside the limits
of this State, and not in foreign country,
and 10 vend the same on the streets, or en-
boats or railroad cars, fifty dollars.
Now, in the first place this is certainly con-
! trarY to the SECOND paragraph Of the tenth
section of the first article OF the Constitution
of the United States, which declares that mo
State shall, without the consent Of the Con-
gress, lay any imposts or dnties on imports or
exports, except what may be absolutely
necessary for executing the inspection laws;
and the net produce of all duties and imposts
laid by any State on imports or exports shall
be for the treasury of the United States; and
all such laws shall be subject to the revision
and control of Congress-
! The Alabama law levies duty on imports:
/ for TIE section, though ostensibly laying only
a license in reality, discriminatas against the
/ products of other States, and imposes spe
cial burden upon them. 1t not only does
this. but it fasors at The same time the pro-
! ducts of foreign country, to the disadvantage
/ of our own. We advise the Legislature Of
| Alabama to 'srevise" their law, and expunge
/ from ii this passage, which appears, to be
merely piece of spite against certain publi
cations III the North, like Harpers Weekly. a
Journal whose faithful, able and strenuous ad
yocacy Of the Union cause during the war has
made 1t powerful organ of public opinion.
and has won for it the gratitude OF our sol
diers and OF all loyal people North and South.
Because some of these Alabama legislators do
not like its sentiments they endeavor TO tax it
out of circulation. This is, to be sure. some
! what better than they used to do before the
war, when they prohibited the circulation of
journals dlsliked by the few Shareholders
But this act is bred of the same spirit Of intol
GRANGE, and that is a spirit which the country
will no longer endure. The American people
mean that speech and discussion shall be free
whever the flag fies. hencetorth. They have
lpaid, by costly and deadly war, for the i'm
prudence of suffering this right to be restrict
ed in the South. They will not tolerate sny
invasion of it hereafter. II the people Of Al
need not buy them; no one will quarrel with
them for that But the passage OF this tax
law shows that there is demand there for
these journals, which these Legislators wick
edly endeavor to check. Of course. the pres
ent act is only an entering wedge. If that
holds, the legislature may tax a newevender
Lone thousand or FIVE thousand dollars for sell
ing any of the prohibited journals; if they
may thus prohibit the sale of an illustrated
i journal, they may similarly forbid that Of a
i daily, or Of all the dailies printed out of the
State, or in any particular State, and i news
papers, then any other articles OF merchan-
disc may be thus kept out.-Ner York Eren
ing Post.
/ A SPECIAL dispatch to the New York Tri
bune from Washington says:
Senator Sherman is reported TO have had
an interview of more than an hours duration
to- day with the President. and found him in
far more practicable mood than hitherto
The Senator assured him there was no jus
tifable cause Cor an abandonment Of the prin
ciples upon which the Republican party car
ried the Presidential election. Nor could hs
afford to cut loose from the men who were
first aud foremost in securing the success o
that party. The conversation is said 10 have
been quite unreserved and comprehensive
and in reply the President insisted that he
had no wish or purpose to invoke any issu,
or esfrangement among his Repub1icar
!. friends and supporters. He admitted That hs
owed his present elevation to the men Of thu
party, and that while in some mattars hi
might differ in opinion with them, he did NO
purpose to set up his individual opinion,
fregard to the Copperhend fawning and fat
teries which had so annoyed his Republican
friends, he said he had been in political lif,
too long 20 be deceived By thsm. The inner
view, as reported, together Wit expression
known to have emanated from one Of hi
firmest adherents in the cabinet, inspired |
more hopeful feehpR aw - ia