The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1849-12-29

upon realities are mostly Of matters of To-
cal relation to the cities where they are
printed, embracing reports of the proceed
ings Of their CITY boards, accounts OF po-
!ie- inveAisa+iens, puffs OF quack medi-
cines, snd Of places Of amrsements, and
the records Of doings In which the coun-
try readers can have no possible interest /;
and if these articles are read at all, they
are pored over as are the panes Of glass, in
the windows by the spectators at meeting,
in quaker house OF worship.
The city weekly newspapers which are
brought into competition with the county
Newspapers, are usually, received at the
post offices in the country, and are there
ready for delivery to subscribers on the
very days Of the dates which they bear,
and the people who take them are thus led
to believe that they contain the latest mews
and that they have the n1c, ofth. city up
10 Their duies, when in fact the papers have
been printed and mailed two or three days
previous thereto. This course is not only
made available by the publishers OF the
city weekly newspapers, In support Of
tAeir competition with the County News
papers, but It il ons adopted Of necessity
TO enable them to use for the printing Of
their weekly Issues the matter put in type
for their daily publications; and also 10
avoid the expense ola force Of hands 10
make up the packages for the mails
1t il the great extent in numbers Of their
cireulations which lay the foundations Of
profit to the publishers OF the city weekly
newspapers, which are brought in conpe-
sition with the County Newspapers; and
large properties have been amassed BY
many Of their propriesors,-and to others
the like are being accumulated, no, more
from the sale of newspapers, than from
thr levy OF black mali BY some, and the
fees paid for "explanations" for puff.
ing received by others and there are those
who have enriched Themselves by the sale
Of their supposed, land Oft time really po-
litical influence.
1t is never likely to result for the best
interest of the country that any newspa-
per should have such an extended circula.
tons, a. to make its influence worth pur-
chase Tor aid to any political object and
Aone but demoralizing influence could
accompany such broad-cast calculations as
are now possessed by many Of the weekly
newspapers Of the larger cities. The arti-
cles which they contain are IN many in
stances the productions Of The penis of
characterless men--and are written and
printed as contributions to the basest feel
ings of the human mind
The city weekly newspapers may SUI
fee to keep the people Of the country adj
vised Of the movements of the inhabitants
of foreign countries. This, however, can az
well be done by the County Newspaper;
and in support of "general sduea'ion," the
County Newspaper can do much; but
these weekly newspapers Of the city can
do nothing. While the editors OF the lat
ter write behind a . mask, and neither
their editors nor their publishers can BE-
held responsible for any encouragement
which they may give to immortality, the
proprietors, and writers for the County
Newspapers, may all be Known and esti-
mated, and held fully responsible for the
moral tendency Of what they write and
print; and it is only in a we'll conducted
County Newspaper, that the people Of the
country can look for what they want; and
ithey were made to contain nothing more
than the records Of marriages and deaths,
and the advertisements Of the county busi-
ness, they would be Of far more value to
the inhabitants of county, than any
weekly city Newspaper to be found in the
whole catalogue Of that description Of pub
icat,ons. But with proper encourage
ment the County Newspapers may be made
to perform higher and more extended
office; and let them have protection against
monopoly which common labor has right
to claim, and be relieved from the unfair
operation of the present laws regulating
the rates Of newspaper postage, and the
required encouragement for them will be
obtained. To this end the writer presents
tor consideration the following
PRoposEp RATES OF NEWSPAPER POSTAGE.
I. To Be free Of Possage-all new spapers and
magazines, (not ex ceediDg single copy ofeach
separate publication } addressed 10 the editors
or pub lishes ofany other newspapers or maya
xines.
This proposes no change in the preseat
law, sxcepta' to magazines; and as the
encouragement to County Newspapers
should be given as much in reference to
education as to the circulation of news or
gossips, the magazine exchanges, a. well
as the newspapers. should be conveyed in
the mails free Of postage. the magazines
being generally Of the higher order Of
literature.
:. To De free Of Pos.nge-aiI newspapers end
magazines addressed TO persons residing in tho
counties wherein tire same have been printed.
THE would be change from the pro-
visions Of the present law; and one which
the cause Of education demands. It would
tend to increase the circulation of the
County Newspapers, and magazines, and