Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-04-20
Correspondence Of the Chas. COuy;,,
NEw-YoRK, April LISA

go into the field of contest with ali ~
forces marshalled, and with more en,S"
slasm, perhaps, than has been before ..
hlblted on the occasion Of choice of ma
nlclpal officers. The candidates for Ma
or are, all three, "good men and lrup y
The least popular is Mr.. Morris Frankr.
nominated by the wings. He was bn, ~
Gently Senator in the State Legsla,n,.
and was defeated on an effort 10 70 sIae,,
him last autumn. He will, to a certa;n,r
be defeated again. Other causes. bes;I!I'
the simple one that the two other nar,;.s
constitute an immense majority, will b,ins
about this result. lie will not reco;Uss
one vote except for party reasons; and lbs
whig journals have, with remark abls in
discretion, denounced the Native Amsr;
cans, whose ranks are chiefly formed bv
wing deserters. am free to confess nv,
self one of them, because we have aoaD
and again had proofs that, in the matter If
the city reform, We have nothing 10 hone
from either democrats or wings, Mora
over, the Presidential question augbt tn
have no sort of influence upon a municin,l
election; we should vote for those men
who will most honestly and industriouslv
perform their duties.
Mr.. Jonathan J. Coddington is the can.
didate OF the democrats, who have deoar.
ed from their usual course, by nominating
a gentleman. Vigorous efforts vera
made by the Spartan band and The lower
Radicals 10 bring forward notorious dis.
organizer, but the better part of the Tam.
many Hall committee succeeded, and tbe
choice lighted upon a moderate man. Mr.
Coddinton was formerly Post Master
here. Nothing further need be said Of
him, than that he vii! be chosen, though
not by large majority.
The Native American candidate is
James Harper, the eldest member Of the
publishing house Of Harper & Brothers.
He is, all acknowledge, the best man and
ought 10 be elected. He will fail, but his
party will poll vote that will not only
"as;onish the mattress" but both of the 9TH
or factions, who have been abusing, in.
stead o! endeavoring to concilate them
James Harper began life as an appren.
tice in printing office. He has risen to
fortune and consideration solely by the
force of good talents, industry, honesty
and habits of temperate. He has much
energy Of character, popular manners, and
all the other requisites Of a first rate city
magistrate.
Let me improve this occasion 10 speak
of the distinguished firm in which the Ma.
tive American candidate is the principal
J. g. J. Harper was the name under which
the two elder brothers James and John)
began business as printers. They TOOK
the first step, more than twenty years ago,
in bringing down the price Of re-PubIlca.
tons to reasonable standard. The con-
sequences was an almost immediate sue.
cess. Perhaps they owed much TO the
fortunate circumstance Of their having be-
gun with those immortal works, the Wa.
verify novels. The two younger brothers
(Joseph g. FIetcher) came intosthe house
at a later period. They are all men OF
excellent standing and character--dlsiIn'
guished for their exactness and fidelity IN
business. They have published many orr
ginal works, and paid large sums 10 au'
thors. AS recent instance, | may men
ton that Of $500 to Mr.. William II. Pre-
scott, for his great work entitled, the Con-
quest of Mexico. | learn, also, that the
learned DR.. Charles Anthem receives from
them more than $4,000 annually as copy.
right for his various classical and school
books. Mr.. John l.. Stephens, author Of
Incidents of Travel in Central America,
&c., has received more than $780, OO'-
Do not such facts as these controvert the
opinion that American authors can get
nothing for their works? The truth IS,
that successful authors are well paid eve.
rywhere, and fifty International Laws will
never enable an Indifferent writer 10 pro-
cure even a bare subsistence by his pen.
The Harpers have very large printing
establishment. They employ eighty com
positors, one hundred and fifty girls in fol-
ding books besides numbers OF persons IN
the other parts of the business. 10 how
many families must such an establishment
give support? Beginning with the poor
people, who 60 about the streets picking
up rags for The paper.makers, perhaps !,
is not too much 10 say that three hundred
families, full fifteen hundred persons, are
clothed and fed by the work of this single
house. When we think that the basis on
which all this rests, is made Of the brains
of a few authors in the old world and Inc
new, we are certainly not disposed 10 iol'
low the fashion of the politcal-economlsS
and rank the literary tributes among "tns
unproductive laborers." am very cur.
GUS to know how many millions OF BOOKS
have been printed and published BY 'ns
one house alone since its commence
ment.
The agitation of the new and impOrIaa,
questions, which have lately arisen 10
3