St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-09-27
A FEDERAL UKASE.


rLoaisiana Rsvisw.l
On the 18th inst, the measure
known - the Anti-Lottery bill pass
ed the United States Senate with
out discussion.
This bill clothes the postmasters
with the arbitrary power Of with
holding mail matter from persons
whom they may suspect to be
agents Of lottefies, gift enterprises,
ETC., and to return such matter to
the senders.- Presumably, when the
name Of the sender does not APP
pear on the envelope, the postmas-
ter or the p0st0flice department
will open the packages, ostensibly
with the object Of finding the name
and address Of such sender.
Under that pretext the letters OF
packages Of any citizen may be de-
tanned, his confidential communica-
tions peered into, and his business
interfered with.
Publishers Of newspapers, who
may knowingly, or otherwise, i'm
sert lottery or gift enterprise adj
vertisement, or . paragraph con.
veying information Of . drawing or
distribution Of prizes, may not only
have their circulation stopped and
their business interfered with, but
also be fined and imprisoned, q II
they had been guilty Of . crime.
In the heat Of . political cam.
paign this power may be used,
and doubtless will be, to prevent
the dissemination Of matter that
would be damaging to the party In
power.
From time immemorial the ad.
vertisements and matter that Con-
gress has undertaken to prohibit
have been published in the news-
papers, and it has not been many
years since the advertisements Of
the lotteries of Delaware, Ken
lucky, Georgia and other States
could be seen in well-nigh every
paper In the land. They excited
little or no attention then, and GER
tainly no one dreamed that the
moral sentiment Of the people
would ever be screwed up to the
pitch Of asking Congress to make
such publications . crime punish
able by fine and imprisonment.
II this precedent is sustained
there is no telling what will not, in
time, be declared q CRIME and he
similarly treated.
With the secrecy and privilege Of
the mails destroyed, and the free
dom Of the press abrogated, cea-
tralization will make rapid strides.
and it will not be long ere Con-
Rress, with equal propriety, will be
devOting much Of its time to the
consideration Of all species Of
sumptuary legislation.
The message Of President Harri-
son relative to this matter, and the
notion Of the Republican Repre-
and Senators, is in har-
mony with the acts of reconstruc-
lion and the Force bill, whose pas
sage IL being loudly demanded by
the Republican conventions. But |
how the Democrats came to vote |
With the Republicans on the pas
,age IT . law which strikes down
The freedom OF the press, breaks
he sanctity Of the msils, and de-
:lares . crime that which is licensed |
BY . State. passes comprehension,
lnless they came to the singular
conclusion that it were best to let
he measure 60 forward unimpeded
o the Supreme Court, for final adj
Indication as to the constitutional
ty Of measures Of . type kindred
o the election bill.
With the mails at their control |
md the freedom Of the press abrog-
ted, the Republicans need but the
nacment of the election law to have
Ibsolute command OF the govern
nent. Then they may strike down,
whenever they see at, the last vest.
ge Of that now almost absolute
'rinciple called States rights.
They have been paving the way
o this contamination for the last
hirty years, and they have 60 we'll
ucceed ed in educating the people
nto their scheme of Capitalization.
hat some Of our Democratic people
ave come to think it quite proper
D appeal to Congress to interfere
18th questions Of purely local
ights!
The anti-lotterv bill partakes Of
Ne character of the ukase Of the
Ear of Russia, with the only differ
nee that it is the product Of an as
smblage instead Of from . sim
le autocrat.
II will give great pleasure to the
pholders Of ahsolutism In the Old
'0rld, who will be able to point
to il rs an evidence Of J
ar fast receding liberties.
HE ANrI-SOUTH CONGRESS. t
fTimes-DemocrAt. Rent. 2A1 ?
Reeds Congress continues its
'ctional work OF furnishing the i
ruth for its Democracy. Yester. '