National Republican., 1874-07-01
AN ALARMING DISCOVERY

The independent journalists have been
thrown into terrible state Of alarm by the
discovery that Congress, after all, passed
an act which it Is thought by these P@ntle-
men will result in 'gagging'' TIE press
The act in question is very stort one. II
reads as follows: That the Criminal Court
"of the District of Columbia shall have
Jurisdiction of all Srimes and misdemean-
''ors committed m said District not triable
.in anv otb1r court, and which are re-
.souired kg law to be prosecuted by indict-
'.meps on information. 2. That provision
''9sIof section 4, of the judicisy act of 17S9,
Shall apply to the courts created by act of
Congress in the District of Columbia" "
By the second section Of the above act
the independent editors themselves assert
that they can be arrested and made to an
swer in Washington where the offence has
not been committed. One of them goes into
| Mysteries upon the subject, and says: at
was the special infamy of one of the worst
''of the Roman emperors that he passed ar
"bitrary laws and had them transcribed in
''such obscure characters and posted so
''high that few could see them or read
them if they met their gaze. The igno-
rance thus assumed was punished as SC
''verely as if it occurred from gross negli-
''gence. 1t now begins to look very much as
''if American Congressman were initiating,
'fn spirit at least, the policy Of the Roman
'Fdespot." Considering the remarkable
sagacity exhibited by this gentleman his
illustration is somewhat unfortunate.
The Cincinnati GGastte, edited by the
trulyvirtuous Richard Smith, who one would
suppose would rejoice at the prospect of an
end being put to the torrent of SANDER and
defamation that floods the country, is some
what angry at the passage of the act In
question, and writes as follows: Gas for
ourselves we publish a paper in Cincinnati
and not in Washington. Other journals
"are printed in cities still moro remote from
Washington, and to compel the attendance
"of publishers on courts q thousand miles
from home for an offence not committed
"there, is in the highest degree tyrannical
land arbitrary" This is all very well
from the Deacon point Of view. But look
at the reverse Of tho picture. A publisher
who prints newspaper five hundred OF al
thousand miles from Washington sends an
agent to this city during thssessfon Of C6n-
gress, and instructs him 'to go for" this
and that man. And he goes for him &C
eordlugly, because perhaps his bread sndI
butter depend upon II. The next result is
that the most heinous crimes and accusa-
tions are preferred against men-we do not
claim that they are always unfounded-but
in many instances they are utterly untrue
Is there not just as much justice and pro-
priety in compelling the publisher, the real
instigator Of the crime, to come to Wash
lngton and answer for it as in compelling
the accused to go thousand miles away
from his business and endeavor to obtain
redress2 There are two sides to the whole
question, and the independent editors must
not make any faces and whine If the tables
are turned upon them. Only the publish
ers and editors who deal in SANDER and
defamation. who "go for men" right or
wrong to make their journals attractive
and lively, will complain of the passage of
the law in question.