The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-15
Our Mistaken Friend.

We published the other day few brief
suggestions of advice addressed to our
friend the Hon. MATT. II. CARPENTER
lately Senator for Wisconsin; and his re-
ply will be found in another column of
this paper. Our advice was occasioned by
n lamentation which Mr.. CARPENrER had
breathed into the ear of his former total
abstinence associate in the Senate Cham
her, JACK CHANDLER of Michigan, the
purport Of which was that the newspapers
were hostile to him, and that he avoided
coming into collision with them because
he feared that he would not meet with
fair play. This led us TO remark to Mr..
CARPENTER that possibly the fault might
be in him; that the newspapers were all
disposed to be friendly TO men of genius
and ability such as he is but that in order
TO gain and keep their friendship, IL is
above all things necessary for public
man to be square. And so we appealed
to our friend always TO be square.
We are sorry to perceive that the wis
dom and apposteness of this counsel are
demonstrated anew by the present COM
munication of our distinguished CORE
spondont. We had objected TO him that
he had not been square in his support of
SHEPHERDS gag law, enacted for the pur
pose of making the press Of the whole
country amenable before the Police Court
mt Washington; and TO this he rejoins by
quoting TO MS another law respecting the
Criminal Court of the District of Column
bia The subject we proposed to him
and the subject he discusses are thus quite
distinct; aud this deprives his observations
of that quality of squareness which we
had hoped so to enforce upon his mind
ms to lead TO its cultivation aud continual
illustration in all his public sayings and
actions. In this effort we have failed (;
but, though the failure gives us sadness
we will not despair. Our friends share,
however, in the legislation here generally
referred to. needs to be elucidated.
The bill to establish the Police Court was
passed in the Senate on June ID, 1870. after
conference with the House respecting
disagreements; and Mr. CARPENTER was
one of the conference committee. The
bill was not much discussed, aud its I'M
constitutional character was not exposed
either In the Senate or in the House. 1t
was not until July, 1873 that the attempt
/ WIS Hliit ny ~ H. SHEPHERD ana flENRN
| ID. COOKE under this act To drag the editor
of THE SUN to Washington 10 be tried for
libel before this court. That attempt was
frustrated by the learned wise, ana fear
less decision of Judge BLATCuFoRD pro-
nouncrng Mr.. CARPENrER's law unconsti-
| tutonal, ana sending SHEPHERD and
COOKE home in disgust.
A year after tins, in June, 1874, Mr. CAR
PEWTER brought in from the senate Com
mittee ON the Judiciary the noted bll
extending the jurisdiction of Circuit
! Courts of the United States. This bill con-
tanned II provision that "where suit if
brought against any corporation or other
person residing in the United states, and
doing business in said territory or district
where said suit is brought, ana having in
said territory or district where said suit is
brought an agent or agents in respect ia
the business or matter out of which the case
arises, service may be made by delivering
to such agent, or to either OF such agents,
when there is more than one, a copy of
such process; and such service shall have
the same force and effect as If made upon