The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-23
Spirit of the Press.
A CALL FOR CoNFIsCATIoN.

CALL FOR CONFISCATION.
Richmond News.
The New York Herald of yesterday
editorially suggests and urges that the
authorities contiscate the coal now piled
up in the railway cars Just outside of
New York city. 1t asserts that the in
dependent coal operators not only detain
the coal, waiting for the necessities of
the public to force higher prices, but
keep the cars so that they make it
impossible to bring fuel from the mines
They withhold relief for the purpose of
extorting more dollars from the misery
of the people and block the way to pre-
vent others from giving that relief
The question is very serious. Such
seizure as the Herald demands would be
violation of the sacred principle of the
rights of ownership and probably with
out precedent in this country in time of
peace. Suppose a million people in a city
were actually starving and somebody
held great masses of food locked in
warehouses in that city and refused to
sell it at any price? Would the authori-
ties be justified in Selling this food pay
ing for it at fair price and selling it
of a million citizens? The suggestions
case is very much like the real one. Suf-
fering from cold is as real and as dam
gerous to the public peace and the indi-.
vdual life as suffering from hunger We
do not know under what law the author
tiles could take the action suggested.
The Herald maintains that the fact that
public institutions sheltering i'll and help
less people are among those affected by
the coal famine offers a pretext
under which the State might seize the
coal, paying for it the tidewater price
demanded by the operators outside of
the ring. 1t would be a kind of solemn
lynch law ostensibly or nominally under
the sanction of the statutes The doc
trine that emergencies justify the vio-
lation of laws is very dangerous, because
the understanding of what constitutes
emergencies may vary widely, but in this
case. certainly, the emergency seems to
be present and pressing.
SEVERE BLOW TO DIVORCE INDUS
TRY.
Baltimore Sun.
A decision of great interest and impor-
lance was rendered yesterday by the Su-
preme Court of the United States in a
case affecting the validity of divorce OBJ
tanned in South Dakota. The decision is
apparently severe blow to the divorce
industry of certain Western States. 1t
is in keeping with the ruling of the
Supreme Court more than a year ago,
when the validity of the divorce laws of
one of these States was attacked in the
highest court in the land. The effect
of the decision in both of these cases is
to compel husbands and wives who de-
sire to dissolve their matrimonial rela
lions to sue for divorce in the State in
which they have been "domiciled."
The divorce courts of South Dakota
have been breaking marriage ties with
an ease and rapidty which constitute a
national scandal. The husband who
wished to get rid of his wife with the
utmost expedition and the least publicity
took the train for the West and in due
season returned ''single man. The wife
who found that her husbands 'tempera-
ment'' was absolutely incompatible"
with her own journeyed to the State of
easy divorces and was soon freed from
the companionship of the man whom she
had taken for life partner. The disso-
lutlOn OF marriage Ties mas long DeeH the
principal business of two courts in that
State. Attorneys who had acquired
reputation for securing divorces for their
clients with ''neatness and dispatch"
have made large fortunes in this unsav
ory business. Now, it is probable, they
Will find their occupation gone. South
Dakota according to the Supreme Court
decision. can make no laws regarding di-
vorce which are in conflict with the laws
of other States If the Dakota divorce
mills are smashed by this ruling of the
Supreme Court no regret will be felt
except by those who have little respect
for the sanctity of marriage. The facil-
ity with which divorces are obtained in a
few Western States is a disgrace to our
civilization and a serious menace to our
social system. 1t is time to call halt