Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-05-26

Down in Botetourt county, Virginia,
Judge Mayo has summoned to answer
before him for contempt an editor who
charged the judge with corruptly and
fraudulently packing the grand jury to
secure an Indictment of citizens" and
who since the summons persists in ex-
pressing its contempt for the court by
characterizing the judge as "a vulgar
partisan devoid of legal knowledge" :"
However much the Judge may be wronged
in this charge. and however right may
be his purpose to vindicate himself from
so serious an accusation, he is taking the
wrong way to get at it. Though he pro
ceeds against his accuser simply as an
editor, he makes the same blunder as
that of Our esteemed friend Judge Pat
terson on memorable occasion. Ii
this charge against Judge Mayo is true
tits eminently right and proper that it
should be made and his real character
be exposed. That is the legitimate
function of newspaper. If it is not
true, and it is to be hoped that it is
groundless, it is libel for which the
editor should be indicted and punished.
How? Exactly in the way prescribed
for the trial of alleged libels against any
other public officer, not by a form of
procedure in which the judge becomes
prosecutor, district attorney, judge, jury
and executiOner. 1t seems to take a
long time to get this plain truth into
the heads of the judges of the country.
They are invested with the power to
punish for contempt in order to preserve
order and authority in their courts ; not
to act as censOrs over newspapers. Con
cede to them the power to thus arraign
newspaper editors for publications :,
and there goes with it the right to
summarily punish for criticisms of their
acts on the hustings, and thus the right
of free speech is effectually suppressed.
We look to see Judge Mayo take water
in the proceeding he has so rashly be
gun.
LOOK out for Weaver on tho home
stretch.
CHILL and Peru are really at peace. Let
tho Times and Press follow suit.
The Universalists of this common wealth
will have state convention at Sylvania,
Bradford county, next week.
The bicyclers who attend the national
convention of wheelmen in New York
next week will not ask for railroad excur.
sion rates. They will ride there on their
machines.
THE work of missions in the different
churches is rapidly passing into the hands
| of women. There are now 81 women 8
missionary societies in this country, four
in Canada, four in England, two in Ger.
many and one in Sweden.
THERE seems to be a general confidence
that union of the Presbyterian church
North and South is only a question OF
time, but the Independent predicts that the
separation of the colored brethren in the
South may be a stumbling block.
THE mill pond which was caught up in
the Illinois cyclone the other day is evil
IDENTIFY being let down in sections, since it
is reported that during storm at Beloit,
Wisconsin, yesterday "a number of live
fish, one of them weighing a pound,
dropped in the business streets.''
HIS high mightiness the still uncrowned
czar, will, if enough of him is left over
Sunday to attend to business, no doubt
find it necessary to pay more attention 10
the revivifcation of the Russian Jewish
troubles within his borders. The Jews
are getting the worst of it again.
In decreeing that his people shall cele
brate Nov. 10 and II as the four hundreth
anniversary of Luther's birth Emperor
William says: II pray that God may
listen to the supplications in which 1 and
all evangelists unite that the celebration
be productive of lasting benefit to our
Evangelical church."
THE immense travel over the New
~.