The new Press Law introduced by Prince Bismarck into the
German Reichstag is nearly, though not quite as oppressive as the recent ecclesiastical laws. The main clauses punish any one who by means of the Press shall set forth disobedience to the law or violation of the laws as in any way permissible or meritorious; the author, editor, or printer being punishable with two years' imprisonment in a fortress ; the paper may be seized, and if any journal reprints the objectionable matter, its editor may be sentenced to six months' imprisonment. This is directed, of course, first of all, at the Catholic journals, but it will hit the Socialist journals, and any publicist who presumes to think it possible that any law whatever can be wicked and ought to be disobeyed. Any journal which publishes adver- tisements must publish also official notices, apparently unpaid for. It is said there will be a fierce fight over the law, as under it almost any argument against anything existing maybe made penal, and Government will probably be beaten, in which event all manner of things are threatened. We question, however, the severity of the resistance, except from the Catholics. The Germans generally, though they care about freedom of thought and of authorship, have not risen to the level of caring about the freedom of journalism.
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