The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-18
Cheap Postage.

communication on this subject was in
serted in the columns Of our paper yesterday,
upon which it is our purpose to offer some com
ments; but, in order to do so fairly, it is neces-
sary that we should republsh the article in con-
nexion with our remarks. 1t is as follows:
CoLUmBUs, ONO, Drc. IL, 1850.
To the Editor Of the Republic.
An article from your journal, on the subject of
postage, is being extensively copied and read.
Among many sound equitable views offered, you
recommend one feature which, If adopted, will
operate oppressivey, and, in thousand instances,
almost ruinously the local and domestic press
Of the United States, you recommend a uniform
rate of postage newspapers Of all sizes for all
distances.
The country press is closely pressed TO the wall,
by the large city journals, at present, and should
the extra twenty cents postage be stricken of,
that advantage would become much greater. How
can the editors Of the country papers induce the
people to subscribe and pay t,oo dollars for a home
paper, containing but four hundred square inches,
when city papers, containing one thousand eight
hundred inches can be had for dollar or dol
lar and fifty cents, and cost no more postage, alta dis
lance thousand miles than the local paperspay
for three miles' Why charge the smallest country
paper the postage within it's county, that the
city mammoth journal pays within the whole
Union2 Such a law 10 manifestly intended TO crush
coverry the home papers for the benefit OF the
larges scaboard journals ] can hardly believe
that surh is your object. know, from experience,
what effect the city papers have on our interest
We are obliged 10 resort To every expcdiont to de-
liver papers free Of postage; the Government
derive. but little revenue from this source. But
il Is impossible for country publisher to serve all
his subscribers by private conveyance; therefore,
some must pay hfty-two cents per year, while 9th
escape, which creates dissatisfaction and consc
quent loss to the publisher. You must be aware
that, as a class, country editors are miserably re-
munerated. Your proposition would materially
reduce that pittance.
II the Department charged for short distances,
say ten cents per year, more revenue would be col
lectod than at present; and. had you recommended
such modification TO Congress, you would be re-
ceiving the thanks Of the thousand five hundred
country presses, instead Of their curses.
We are we'll aware that tho large journals nre
lobbying the members Of Congress for this change
in their favor, but there is such possibility ms
| xreedine,s overreacbing itself
j. MEDILL, Editor Republican.
We have heretofore advocated the reduction
Of postage to the lowest rates that can possibly
sustain, in an efficient manner, the Post Office
| Department and we feel conscious Of having
done so, not only with earnestness, but with
entire disinterestedness and singeness of pur-
! pose. Ii is our desire to continue this advo-
cacy, and we will regret the introduction of ev-
cry collateral issue between the friends of so
important measure. Our correspondent, how
ever, so gravely accuses us, and insinuates such
differences from our recommendations, that we
feel constrained to give him our attention
We have been at some trouble to ascertain