Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-06-24
NEW YORK.
senator Carpenters Gag Law; His
Exploration = Italian Co. Opera
tive LabOrers.

| NEW IOkk, June z4.-CenatOr Gar
penter published here this morning q
letter about what has been styled Car.
penter's gag law, and says an accurate
statement in regard to this matter will
satisfy every journalist who respects
truth and will diminish the force of vitu-
peration uttered by those who do not.
In course of the review of the law and
its several sections, the Senator writes;
why general laws should not apply to
the District Of Columbia as well as to
the territories, is not perceived, or why
any capitalist of New York or Boston
carving ON a business by an agent in
this District should have greater objec-
ton to coming here for trial than
to going to Idaho or Wyoming, is
not very apparent, but the great
objection is that 1T applies TO
publishers as well as to merchants,
mechanics, manufacturers and all other
Business men. Now to this | reply that
the bill hes no special reference to pub
fishers; it deals with all men alike, and
those who make this objection ought to-
show upon what grounds publishers can
claim exemption from laws which bind
everybody else. They seem to think
that they may be sued in Washington for
libel. Well, why should they not, ifthey
commit that injury by an agent in this
district The law OF libel is no more
unfavorable to the press than the statute
against larceny is to the people. One
perplexes thieves and the other liars,
but neither Is terror to hon
est men, and this bill is no
more injurious to publishers than
every law must be which looks to the
impartial administration Of justice
While the bill was under consideration
in the Senate Democratic Senator
moved to amend the eleventh section so
thai ii shoald not apply to any suit for
libel or SANDER. The proposition was
directly presented to exempt one class
Of citizens from the operation Of the
general law and declare immunity in
favor Of libel and SANDER. and every
Democrat who voted upon the. PROPOSE
ticu sustained it. Ths reason for this is
quite Obvious. The chief occupation Of
the Democratic press to day Is TO con-
/ pose and publish Ebels upon the party in
power. Any diseour4gsnsut given to
libel and SANDER would be thEzrrIuE the
means By which the Democratic pa-sy
hopes To cvsrthroW the Rsp1bEcan
party.
The prnpcaiSaz was dsf.ass,t b. the
vuras Of thf-s7-shrse RepGhEcau& 4
narlsn "a Etrizz gu4 the Eassla Of tie
eleventh. Ies.islIu WIS EIac 5isfsa-s,s 5F
vura Of YsaH Ii ~ NAYS a. AMI Gu the
1aaau.rs af 1i1e AMI sshrrF1gg SENATOR'S
v1naf are.
=eiaUar CaE-pen1sr lIinll4 1-iIEE.. UIltsr
ne circumstances. ig sitn1Ilt unr se
auEed CUE f1r BpesasI. Gri1zsaEu- The
rsner1l sperz1iln Of sle Law .as Senzs1r
f--,1arrEzsa ii .sssEaEs- s1FEess z4E-
ass1as1z-sr Of ear-iazzs II tie city q New
Tsrk establishes Eozse II Chicago for
The szIs Ct such carriages, and bis busi-
ness there "a managed By an agent Who
selIs The carriages With false warranty.
Under tie provisions Of this section suit
might bs brought in the Federal Court Of
that State and service be made upon the
agent there ard upon the. principal in
New York. Is there any justice in thisl
Should the party who has been defrauded
be compelled 70 take his witnesses to New
York for triaI2 Is it hardship to pro-
vide that such may be maintained where
the transaction out Of which il arose was
hadg Is there any injustice in providing
that the agent sent TO Chicago to trans
act the business shall be considered
aIso the agent in regard TO suits arising
therefrom7 Under this section the process
can only be served upon the agent who
was such in respect to the very transac-
ton out Of which the suit arises. II a
New York capitalist chooses to do busi-
ness BY an agent in the Western States,
why should be not submit to the juris-
diction Of the court where be has an
agent to transact the very business out
Of which the suit arises, as he would have
TO do II be carried on the same business
there in person2"
TIE Italian cooperative laborers, in a
published card say: We claim the
right to put such prices upon our labor
as may seem to US best We number
twenty seven hundred artisans and la
borers under seventy.two ioremen. Hav-
ing heard that large number of con-
tracts have been taken at panic prices
by builders who cannot proceed with
their work because Of the existing
strikes, we hold ourselves ready to un-
J..t.i,o -. .ortract or IN furnich uac.