Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-08-11
COMMUNICATIONS.

nee in FRIDAYS Gazette, and your general course
with respect 10 such tickets.
You have. unquestonably, right to refuse OF
IN nublish communications, which the authors ex-
pect to be inserted in your paper gratuitously-
this no one will question.
The community, however, and the subscribers
whose patronage supports your paper, have riSht.
also, to expect YOU will publish all matters which
relate to the general welfare OF the Town
These are. at least, my views OF the duties OF
an editor. and the rights Of editor and patron.
speak for myself as subscriber, (and have
30 doubt many will agree with me- that 1t Is not
SOLELY for the information and amusement obtain
"a from 1t that subscribe for the GaZette--pub-
tic utility, and the necessity OF newspaper III
such a community as ours, are inducements equal
~ strong as my individual grahhcation, uhiteo
with friendly regar, for your interests:
have. therefore, always thought hard Of your
course, with respect to public elections, as tor
C.,.e,l. &c. in refusing to publish nominations
unless accompanied with doNar, though never
vet offered one for publication.
You say. with respect to the pending Canal
electicn) Iii we should open our columns to
tickets we should have very little else IN them y
Allowing Tor share CT editorial amplihcation,
will admit they might be burdensome, were you
to publish every anonymous or quizzical commu-
nication on such subjects.
Both these classes may De easily provided tor:
require respectable name for every such com.
municatiOn. and your own good sense Will easily
distinguish between assuch are intended to be use
ful aud those which are mere hunbuss or quiZZi-
cal.
Make il known that such is vourdeterminatIon,
and whilst YOU will benefit the public BY publishing
such as are really intended to enlighten and direct
Its Judgment, YOU will free Yourself from being
bored with the sQuibs of persons whose time
might be more usefully employed.
P. 3. Upon showing the above to a mutual
friend, he fttlly agreed with 1t, and remarked
chat public nomination of directors would give
the people much better chance OF selecting suita-
Die persons to conduct oar great ,c0rk, and tend
60 set aside the eleCtioncering and various in-
auences which are now at work.
He further stated, that certain individual, OF
political nctoriety, was busiiy engaged IN many
quarters, endeavorng to arrange ticket TO has
-,oa satisfaction.
The course | recommend IF you think proper
20 pursue it) will, perchance. place such officious
meddiers in their proper situations, and not sui
fer them 10 assume places, better due to merit Oi
less Obtrusive character. K.
L ne ABOVE lTOHt HiSiiN le-
spected friend, requires some notice from us.
The relative s. rights and duties of an Editor
and tie public are not well understood, and one
primary duty Of the public, if understood at all.
Is not often attended to-we mean the duty of
yayiag FOR the newspaper. If our friend would
Look at our books through the crosses a,d trials
of now near thirty Years, he woald see, in adm
rable colors. the dWy OF subscribers and the glo-
iious privilege of Editors. This Is. however. by
the wav.-it is very customary TO talk Of the
patrons ola newspaper and the patronage which
supports ii. Now we never heaS of the - pa
irons" Of LAWYER or doctor or merchant-yet
where is the difference? No man takes this pa
per without receiving estimating our abors -
she,r lowest rate quid pro quo. He gets the
worth ofhis money.
We have endcavored to make our course plain
and straight--independent and honest. We have
1luoriaby published all matters which relate
to the general welfare of the town" We have
been instant, =. in season and out of season." in
using our humble efforts to promote the prCspe-
rity and advance the interests of Alexandria.
On this head We are out Of the reach of censure.
And vet, with regard TO local matters, there Is a
point at which we ought To stop. In what other
town is it expected or asked that a newspaper
should contain electioneering tickets and nomi-
nations for all Offices in the gift ofthe people, and
even under corporate associations? 1t is not
right that it should. 1t is very easy to get a
. respectable name'' to fifty nominations day.
and vet the object of the " respectable name''
may be to distract and divide, TO further his own
views or crafty his own malice. Our object in
charging for the insertion of nominations is not to
make money by the business,-for that game is
too small,-but to prevent the lumber Of our CO.
lumns with tickets from persons who feel perhaps
little more interest in the subject than merely to
make an electioneering contest. II any gentle
man is anxious TO get on the Board of Directors
for the Canal, and will come out and avow him.
self as a candidate, We will publish his name
every day free of charge. But when his friend:
are striving and stirring TO promote his success
and their own views. they ought not to expect tc
make catspaw Of the printer. If the ''play is
worth the candle" they surely cannot refuse the
cost of an advertisement. One fact will tend to
cSnyinss sar friend that we are psrfsstly right.