Show STATE RIGHTS IN MAINE Now for a change it is the State of Maine that is raising the question of State rights The Legislature recently passed a new liquor law a provision of which is that the payment of a retail internal revenue tax shall be considered prima facie evidence of the violation of the law and that the penalties provided by the act shall be imposed upon persons known to have paid such a tax without further process Last week one Reuben E Hall was accused of having violated the State law and the Internal Revenue Collector of the district was called upon to testify as to the payment by Hall of the retail tax The Revenue Collector refused to testify stating that if he should give such evidence as was required it would be likely to reduce the amount of collections in his district and besides would be contrary con-trary to the instructions of his superior The Judge of the court then ordered the Revenue Collector committed for con compt of court but aetion on the mitti mus was delayed to give the Collector opportunity to petition the United States District Court for a writ of habeas carpus Meantime the Judge of the State Court was officially informed that the Internal Revenue Collector was acting in accordance accord-ance with the instructions of the Commissioner Com-missioner of Internal Revenue and requested re-quested to discharge the prisoner The request was not granted however and the Revenue Collector was held in custody by the sheriff This says the Silver State makes a direct conflict between the Federal and State laws Tho one authorizes the issue of licenses to persons to sell liquors and the other makes the payment of money for such license prima facie evidence of an offense that is punishable with fine and imprisonment The question involves in-volves the right of a State to enact and enforce laws that conflict with the United States laws and the decisions of the courts in the matter will be looked for with considerable interest |