Show THE DOW LAW By reference to our dispatches it will be seen that the United States Circuit Court in and for Ohio passed upon the first case under the new Dow Law and passed in favor of the people and against the liquor seller The case wasmade a test case and as such was eagerly watched The court after due consideration consider-ation decided against the saloon keeper as follows That the court had no jurisdiction jur-isdiction to afford the relief asked that the ordinance does not conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution Constitu-tion of the United States that the ordinance ordi-nance does not deprive the complainant of his property that the ordinance is only a police regulation in the interest of public pub-lic morals and for the common good Of course this case will now be taken to the Supreme Court of the United States and pleaded as being in direct conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment and on the ground of error by the Circuit Court and all kindred phraaJs used by lawyers in carrying a case up to the final tribunal If the judgment of the Ohio Circuit Court should be held by the Supreme Court to be valid that would be the end of the liquor traffic and the general Government Govern-ment would have to enforce the law until un-til such time as the people could elect a Senate and Congress who would so amend the Constitution as to make it impossible impossi-ble for any court to rule against any business busi-ness which the Government tacitly countenances coun-tenances by taxing it But the ruling of the Ohio Circuit Court is by no means to be taken as indicating opinions or feelings feel-ings of the Supreme Court The following follow-ing is the language of the First Section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Con-stitution under which the liquor dealer I held he was wrongd and which the court I held was not touched by his case SECTION IAll persons born or naturalized natural-ized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States nor shall any State deprive any person of life liberty or preperty without due process of law nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction ju-risdiction the equal protection of the laws The people of both sides of the question can easily find inferences to favor their wishes in the foregoing language but it is a clear road for a judicial mind to travel and there is no doubt that when the jurists of the Supreme Court come to pass on the intent of this language they will hold that the Dow law does abridge the privileges and immunities oi citizens of the United States The direction taken by the saloon men of Ohio is the only proper one leading to a legal decision decis-ion of the matter and its ending will be oi great interest to all concerned |