The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-01-24
Posr4er.--Inthe address on the sub

| PosTAGE.--In the address on the sub
ject Of postage, In our last weeks pa
per, there are several suggestions wor-
thy of serious consideration. We could
never see the propriety of charging
but one cent and a half on large mann
moth newspaper from the city OF New
York to this place, while one cent is
charged on our paper in going from
here to st. ClairsyiHe. We have al
ways thought, since the subject has
been under consideration, that two
cents should be charged on all news
papers carried by mail over 100 miles;
one cent under 100 miles, or within
the bounds of the State where printed,
and to be carried free ofpostage in the
county where the paper is printed, in
stead of 80 miles as at present. If the
law was so changed, the revenue to
the department would be increased
Under the presentlaw there are offices
in this county, not over 10 miles from
this place, at which our subscribers,
owing toa circuitous mail rout, have to
pay postage on their papers.
AS TO the propriety or impropriety
of increasing letter postage we have
but little to say. However, it does
seem to US, that where an individual is
engaged in the business Of merchan-
dizing, or in the practice of law, both
of which require large amount of COR
respondence, the person so engaged
should pay a larger sum 10 meet def
cheney IN the revenue ofihe Post Office
Department, than the farmer or me-
chanic; because he is more interested
and benefited by the mail service.
To illustrate. Suppose the postage
of a merchant, or attorney Of this place,
amounted under the old law to the
yearly sum of $l2, and under the new
law, for the same amount of correspon-
dence TO only S.; he would be the
gamer 81. We will then suppose
mechanic of this place Or farmer in
the neighborhood, with an equally large
family and living in equal style, paid
under the old law, as the yearly amount
ofhis correspondence, 50, and under
the new law IS cents, saving only one
dollar and % cents. Is it just, there
fore, that these men should all contrib
ute equally to pay the deficiency in the
revenue caused by the reduction OF
postage? This they now do indirectly,
by means of the tariff. There are in
this county thousands of just such cases
as above supposed. We believe that
we would not be far wrong if we should
say, that one-iourth Of the entire popu-
Iation of this country write three
lourths of the letters carried by mail.--
Now if the revenue from the mail SER
vice fails TO meet the expenses of the
by two million dollars per
year, is il not apparent to every one,
that the remaining three-lonrths of the
population contribute vastly more to
make up this deficiency than the other
one-fourth? Most certainly, and that
too without receiving any benefit
We have not made these remarks for
the purpose of eliciting discussions; be-
|ieving that the people of this county
are but little interested in the question.
This may be all that we shall say on
the subject. One thing we will now
'av, however, and that is, that with a
title modification. the law as il now
stands meets the appreciation Of the
people.
The revenue under the present rates
will in two or three years, we believe,
'ay the expenses OF the department,
md then our objections above stated
would be of no force.
rMessrs. MAcKALL and YosT will