Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-06-20
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

Repeatedly the Intelligent people of
our country of all political compilations
have been startled by the extraordinary
legislation of Congress. When great
financial disaster had paralysed the
trade of our country and threatened
complete neutrality-suspicious. the im-
poverished West and South, drained Of
the last dollar under the workings OF
defective and i'll conceived currency law,
were clamoring in the very halls OF
Congress for legislative relief, Congress
deaf to the cries and indifferent to the
wants of the people OF the two great
sections, criminally consumed the time
in the discussion of the Civil Rights
bill or in matters of trivial import.
That Congress has acted honestly
and faithfully in the interest OF the peo-
pie no one will aver. Its frauds, cor
ruptions, intrigues and scandals are only
exposed by the Press-the tutor OF the
Inasses-and if not subsidized or cor
rupted, is alone the weapon and the
shield of the people in the contest for
right, and all principles and ideas which
in their consummation would tend to
the security of ''life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness :" and when abody
delegated by the franchise of people
to exercise only the constitutional func-
tons of Legislators, attempts to restrain
and intimidate the Press, it is an adj
vance step toward the gradual pruning
OF the liberties of the people, which in
the end will terminate disastrously.
We remember that short time ago
an attempt was made by the official
frauds OF the District of Columbia to
bind, gag and drag the editor Of the N.
Y. San, to Washington for trial, on the
charge of libel against said officials, but
the honesty of the Judiciary interposed
aud the liberty of the citizen was not
violated nor the majesty OF the law ont
ragged. But this attempt to shame the
law, it seems, is justified, as few days
ago Conkling and Carpenter sprung
bill in the Senate and succeeded without
debate, in undue and disorderly haste,
in rushing it through to its passage.
This bill is entitled an act ''to determ-
inc the jurisdiction Of Circuit Courts Of
the United States, and to regulate the
removal of causes from State courts, and
for other purposes" 1t is plainly evil
dent that under this act the Publisher
Of paper may be dragged from his vi
cinage, however remote 1t may be. on
complaint of any irresponsible official,
whose rascality has been exposed, to be
ried before u. S. Court, say in the
District of Columbia, by the complain
ant simply serving notice on the resi-
dent correspondent, paper vendor OF
newsboy.
This is an attempt at intimidation,
which these oft slandered Legislators
hope will act in the future as an effec-
tive check on an honest out-spoken
Press They cannot suffer exposure,
and when the fliInsey cloak of honesty
under which they seek to hide their in
ner corruptions is torn away by the
power Of the Press, and they stand ex-
posed to the eyes of a patient and long
suffering people in all their deformities,
righteous Indignation fires their souls
and they attempt policy which tends
10 hide official corruption-which vital
ICES and protects wrong, and stiles and
murders truth and right.