The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-12-22
Reduction OF Postage.

u, relates TO Il reduction Of the present rates u
postage II will be seen that the only obstacle in
the way Of reduction Of the postage on letters
to a, most one half their present rates is that
greatest Of III, public abuses, the Unlimited priv
lege Of trdakiag enjoyed by member Of Con
gress. Over fourth Of the receipts fon postage
On letters is actually expended on account Of tbs
matter, and i; may wei! be regarded Is unjust, Us
the p NJ General remarks that the private cor
responlencc OF the country should be.r thi, bur
them aud il tie carrying Ct this franhod matter,
especially the speeches AMI electioneering docu
ments Of members OF congress is considered q val
uibe public service, il is no more than right that
the expense should bc borne by the pubic trelsl-
~, in the same manner as all other branches Of
the public service are sustained: and MT : d led
on the post Office Department, which, vLilc it i
requested to meet is expenditures foIA its own
resources, should not be robbed OF its me ms il
bearing burthens not leyi.imately belong .ng To it
Yet, notwithstanding the heavy burtheus Of this
ftmkiny privilege, it viii be seen that the F. NJ
General feels himself fully warranted, f.om the
revenue Of the Department for the last year, to
recommend a reduction Of letter postage to tie
uniform rate Of cents for all distances in the [
States; and, also, to recommend discriminating,
reduction en- newspapers i'll favor Of their circua.
ton ia The innctiata vicinity Of their respective
Places # Publication
In regard to the former u these recommends
tons, as the 7. u. Ccucral shows BY the actua,
results Of the past year that i; could at frthest
Ca no more than bring the expenses Of the De.
pertinent mp to It's income, there seems no earthly
excuse why the recommendation should not lie A.
dopted at once. There can surely BE- no good rea.
sen given Why man residing in Ottawa SHOULD
pay more for letter from his brother in New
OTk than for enc from bis brother in Peru. Ia
discrimination Is Unstable a, all in tl.e ca e. It
seems TO u It should rather be made IN favor Of
the greater distance o. there are so many prra:e
opportunities Of senla; letters ,hor distances la,
4 HE IS no: obliged TO submit; to tie post Office
tx il their eases, while in the case Of tie greater
distance he seldom hls an election.
La Reference to tie reduction Of postage on
n-wiPaPars, We regret that the 7. NJ General has
not been mcre definite. True, lie SAYS that papers
should no; pay the sane passage circulating III
Their own vicinity as at distance, but with this
..aslc remark tie subject is dropped. Now, it
seems to US some very cogen: and solid reasons
could have been given in favor Of tic discrinina.
ton in question, the u,terance of which could hive
given the ?. NJ. General little trouble, and would
have entitled h.m ia tie cred. OF having said
something useful
There can no particular reason be given, arr
ins from views of actual public benefit why let
tiers should float more freely between this place
and Peru than between tits place and St. Louis
Asa general thing, our people have more need of
corresponding with the latter place than the for
mer But in regard TO newspapers it is different,
Publications, of legal character particularly, are
made IN the papers of the town almost every
week. which publication it's absolutely necessary
IN many cases, that the people of all parts of the
county should see. Such are tax lists. sheriff pro
Carnations, &c &c, Besides these, the affairs OF
our county, the names Of candidates for county
officers their claims, DC, are annually discussed
III the county papers, subjects with which it is fire.
qnently OF the highest Importance that the people
OF the whole county should be familiar. 1t i.
PLAIN therefore, at glance, that there is a real
solid public benefit derivablc from the free crcu
lation Of a newspaper in the county in which it is
printed. But such reasons can in no case whatev.
or apply to papers printed out Of the county
AS general thing, such papers are filed with
matter selected for another region, and the man
who wishes TO read them here, has reasons Of his
own Tor it which are not held in common with the
community generally, He canno, claim therefore
shat the public should bear portion Of the OK
Pense OF getting such paper to him. lie canno;
complain OF being compelled to pay f.ir price
for Its conveyance to his house But the poo,
man OF tins county ca" justly complain that he i
Obliged tn take notice Of many things that nr,
printed in the county papers, while ye, in order /,
get them he is obliged topay not only the expcns,
oil having his county paper brought to him, bu
also mast pay toward carrying the mammoth pub
locations Of distant cities u his neiShbors, whicl
are Of no earthly benefit or interest To him.
We could give many more reasons in favor o
the fee circulation Of local papers, but have no
time to pursue the subject further to-day. W,
hope however, that the country press, now tia
congress Is in session, will take this subact up an,
urge upon the members Of their respective dis
trcts until they are attended To.
We know very well, that reasonable in ,teelf a
undoubtedly ia thi. claim fr free local ncwspnpe
circulation, it will be excee lngly hard ever TO os
tain It, for Tho reason that all the large and NOR
respectable papers--tho "magnates" of the pres
those huge city periodicals which president,
cabinet ministers. and members Of consres. stan
% much in ave Of. are un,lterlbly opposed 10 Ii
reduction They know quite wuil TIA, 40 long a
they Can compel the country editors TO bear III
actual tax Of carrying thsir "eudlcss wishy ,wash,
food" 10 the very oflse doors Of The country ps
rers those city papers can get fat living an
maintain their control over public opinion. But
tie country pres could over Do made conscious {
Ia ovv,, s,owar "A n,i,hk nevar heissa ~ iustic