The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-07-22
and they attempt this Other by
briaty III ~ by feIoo. II d

y, .,,CSJ.I A.
to gag ho press. A law was passed
tbAt in; t;hny action. the plaintiff ON
bring suit in any place in which
tho defendant has an agent. BY
this law every newspaper having a
correspondent at Washington can bo
3 sald is.i.ltsb Ia tbo Washington. Poioe court
a court composed of vilo tools of vile
congressman. Whenever an official
has his misdccds brought to public
notice, ho can recover damages from
the paper which had the manliness
to denounco him. ... ..
An ;attomptiwas mado previous to
the passage of this law, to iudict
Dana of the Sun, in tho Washington
court, though he lived in New York.
.Hut = udge Blatcbford of that State,
tsofdod that the Constitution guaran
tees trial by jury, and refused to
give Dana into tho clutches of the
Judicial Ku Klux at Wa ,hington.
Sinco the passage Of this act an at
tempt has already been made to gag
tire Sun. Tho Grand Jury refuses to
lind true bill. This is u mon
strous law. tending to subvert republi-
Gao government. by it such anoin.
todivillaihs as Chandler, Carpenter
Butler, Patterson and others of that
fik, can. rcvel in crime, and their
constituents bo kept ignorant of tho
facts. This is virtually establishing
a censorship of the press only equal
led by that of France. ..'
But Congress is not alono in this
outrage on the people. Petty Judges
take the cuo from these Congress
sional brigands, and usurpe to
themselves powers mover before
dreamed Of. Contempt is pushed to
an extraordinary extent. In good
old days Judges punished for con-
tempt, parties refusing to testify or to
obey tho process Of tho court, or
parties disturbing judicial proceed
ings, or such like offenders. But now,
just so soon as judge hears his con-
duct criticised, he rules the party for
contempt, and incarccrates him in
prison.
The leg; Stature and Executive Dc.
partmcnts of South Carolina have
long been stenchos. The judicial
department is now becoming a foul
blot upon tho national judiciary
Some time since, Judg" Carpenter
rnl d the editor of the Truo South
ron for denounoing his action in the
Citizens Savings Bank case. lie
Ia led III this attempt to n,nzzlo the
press. N"I Learning wisdom by ex-
pGricncc, Judge Cook is also attempt
Ing u similar outrage, ono even more
aggravated. Mr.. Stokes, of Greou-
vile, was imprisoned for contempt.
Judge Cooke, VIC will say here, we
believe in this matter, acted properly.
MIR, 4. B. Ferguson, a prominent
citizen Of Greenville, writes to the
News moderate letter, saying the
prisoner will die if incarccrated long.
or, and suggesting that as ho is mo.
nomanlao, somo other arrangement
might be made. This lottcr was az
mildly drawn rs possible, but this
potty judge Of small circuit AFRO.
gates to himself dictatorinl powers.
aud rules Mr.. Ferguson for contempt.
Judge Cook will be prosecutor, judge
and jury, and will SIT upon his own
case. lIo is less exousablo than
Judge Carpenter. The lattor was
bitterly Denounced tho former, on.
deavors to imprison n private indi
vidual 'or muhing q petition. Could
this outrage DO aggravated : Docs i,
not strike such blow at liberty az
has never before been struck in the
United States
Judge Cooke takos tho broad
ground that Judge must not be
criticised. The press and tho people
must stand with batod breath while
an crmined autoerat tramp1os upon law
and justice. Not even in whisper
must this Jctfreys' name be mention.
Cd. Ii a judge has powor to commit
such an offender for conte mpt, he can
send tis vilc minons and arrest in
the dead of ofnight, any private citizen
who falls under his displeasore.
If every individual in Soutd Caro-.
lima who has denounced tho judiciary
wero incarceratcd, as he could be,
If j ud/ra .COnke ha fhu, 1I>,