The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-06-25
nrrzzLrNa rHE PREss.

MUZZLTNG THE PEESSs
A Elm ProEidfng that any Newspaper May
be Sued IN Washington. By Serving a
Process ON Its COrrespOndent-Mere
and Manufacturers at the Mercy OF Local
Courts.
Correspondence Of the New York Sun.
WASHINGTON, June 15s-The Senate
passed in hot haste. and under the
whip and spur of the radical leaders
of that body, bill of the highest inn
portance to every leading newspaper
and merchant and manufacturer in the
country, and which may easily be
made the means of bringing each and
every one of them to financial ruin.
This bill, which is supposed 10 be the
Joint production of Messrs- Carpenter
and Conkling, was cunningiy kept
back during the earlier part of the
session, when all bills can be and are
carefully scrutiniZed, and was intro
duced by Mr.. Carpenter on the 18th
inst, period of the session which
jobbers and eonspirators usually Sc
lect to pass their measures in the hur-
nv and haste which necessarily char
acterize the legislative proceedings.
The title of the bill is to Determine
the Jurisdiction Of the Circuit Courts
of the United States and TO regulate
the removal of causes from State
Courts, and for other purposes The
greater part of the measure is devoted
to providing the machinery to- carry
out the object expressed III the title,
and contains no striking changes in
the law save in the eveventh section,
where the great object and purpose of
the authors is TO be found. The sec
tion reads as follows:
That process to commence in any
Circuit Court in the United States or
in any court of any Territory of Che
United States or of the District of
CoIumbis, any civil suit not effecting
the title of real estate not within the
State. Territory, Or District where
said suit is brought againstany e0rpo-
rationaorA other peFsons residing in
the United States, and doing business
in the State, Territory, or district
where SAID suit is brought. an agent
or agents in respect of the matter out
of which the case arises, may be made
by delivery to such agent or either
Of such agents, if there is more than
one, copy of such process, and such
service shall have the same force and
effect as if made upon the principal of
such agent in the State, Territory, or
District of Columbia, where the suit
is brought, provided, however, that
this section shall not apply to any suit
or cause of action accruing before
July 1, 1874. - e res
1t will be seen from the above Ian
guage, that if any merchant or manu-
iacturer has an agent or salesman pass
ing through Alabama, Louisiana, or
the District of Columbia, all that is
necessary to sue him before Judge
Busted, Judge Darrell, or the judges
of this District, is to serve process on
his agent or salesman. The merchant
must then go to the expense and
trouble of standing trial in a distant
community, and incur the risk OF de-
Tending himself in United States
courts which perhaps may be reeking
with corruption, and where juries may
be readily packed upon him. Such is
4 the legal effect of this section upon
trader and manufacturer; but it is
generally believed to haYe been franz
ed with especial reference to the lead
ing newspapers and their correspond
ents in this city, aud that its object Is
to suppress the freedom of their crit
icism upon leading members of the
dominant party by bringing libel suits
against them in the courts of this dis
I trict where the result of such suits
can readily be predicted. All that is
necessary is to serve process upon Its
Washington correspondent or the
agent of the Associated Press, if either
writes what is not acceptable to the
leaders who are able to control as they
please executive, legislative and judi
| ~ fhfo AL
if the editorial articles of a newspaper
are deemed too free for the tastes OF
Messrs. Cunkling and Carpenter, all
have the libel suit tried here is to
serve the process upon the neWsdeal-
er or vender of the papers
: This bill was reported to-day by
Mr.. Carpenter from the judiciary
i Committee as a substitute for House
bill upon the same subject. The
eleventh section of the bill was ener-
geticalfy resisted by Mr.. Bayard and
i Mr.. Wadleigh, and its mischieYous
and dangerous tendencies fully ex-
posed. Mr..Bayard charges that the
purpose was to bring the newspapers
of the country here for trial, and he
moved so to amend the eleventh sec
ton as to exclude suits for libel or
SANDER. The authors of the bill did
not dare to deny that this was the
object of the section, and admitted
the truth of the accusation, not only
by their silence in debate but by yot-
ing down Mr., Bayard's amendment
This was done by the votes of the
body of the Republican senators, led
by Coudling, Carpenter and Freling-
huysen. over the votes of Bayard
Stockton, and all the Democrats, aided
by few Republicans The bill was
finally put through
It looks as though this was the Sc
queI of the old attempt to bring the
editor of The Sun here to be tried il
police court, and the bill is eYident'
i ly the product of conspiracy against
a free press by such men as Conkling
Carpenter, Butler, Grant, and Shep.
herd. 1t is feared that an attempt
will be made to rush this measure
through the House Tomorrow. L
will be resisted by the Democrats, but
it is not possible to say that they vii
be aided by enough Republicans tc
defeat it. 1t is conceded that if a de
lay of two or three days for discussion
can be secured the Western anC
Northern Republicans win not dare
to vote for such measure. The car
pet-baggers and negroes will supper
it as matter of course,
This iniquiteus measure failed t.
pass in the House,
what tI,a T.ev,islsture Did. 4s5s8