Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-06-26
THE NEW-P0STAGE BILL.


We find in the Howard Gazette, the fol.
lowing forcible remarks in regard to The
Bill now before the U. S. Senate, synopsi.
Of which we gave last week:
We publish to-day brief synopsis Of The
new postage bill reported to the Senate BY
Mr.. Rnsk. We say, however, very frankly
tbs, we have NO idea that i, will be passed
Under this belief we might rest satisfied
and not enter our objections to its provi.
slons, were ii not our duty to oppose even
the bare proposition TO suffer the present
system OF newspaper postage TO remain
The bill proposes this, and 10 this we OBJ
Ject. We objec, to i, because i. lays an g.
nornous tax upon knowledge that operates
SO as 10 exclude j. from the people. Thou
sands Of persons in our State would take
newspapers, who now scarcely ever see one,
II it were not for the postage. We stren-
ously advocate the recommendation Of the
Convention of Editors, held in Baltimore in
April last, which was to the effect tina, news
papers ought to circulate free Of postage in
the congressional dis,ric, in which they are
published.
The people Of The respective counties and
districts Of State ough. to be made famil-
lar with all ,ha. sppersins to themselves
They should sustain the press IN their mds.
every householder should take his own
county or district paper but il is no, the
CASE, never can be The case while the
presen, unequal system exists. One Of our
subscribers, mile or two from our office,
EfC Ia .
neighbor takes "Bosion Notion" which
costs him bu, IS cents per year more. The
Boston paper, from its large circulation, can
be afforded q. less price than ours, and
though j. may be filled with "Ghosl''. and
"Knocking" stories-"evil speaking, lying
and slandering,' it crowds us out. crowds
GU. useful information, because j. is cheap
er. We are not SO selfish in our feelings, and
narrow in our views, as TO desire Congress
10 Legisla,e for our advantage-the advan-
tsge Of the local press. But we have right
10 be heard in behalf Of the people-in be-
half Of the interests Of the county, and we
say most earnestly that the mammoth pub
fishing offices i'll the large cities, under the
operation Of this law, are cripling the local
press and rendering i, inefficient.
Can those presses supply the place Of the
local press? II is impossible. Why then
should the papers Of distant cities, weighing
twice as much, be carried two or three hun
dred miles for one half cent more than ours
is carried two or three miles:
We say again tina. we believe the bill can
not pass at this session, and we should be
sorry If i, could, unless this feature Of il
"ere changed. We are the more firm on
the sujec, because il the bill pass it will
fassen the system on us for some years to
come.
Since the above was in type we have met
with the following sensible article from the
Hanover (Pa.,) Spectator, and we call upon
all our brethren of the press 10 wake up
aud speak out.
Newspaper Postage Country Press IT.
tend 1--WE so1ici THE attention Of our bre-
then Of the country press in all parts Of the
Republic, to The feet that the new Postage
bill reported BY the post-office committee,
does not contain any provisions remedying
the enormous burden SO unjuslly imposed
upon the country press by the presen. law!
And we call upon them to unite in solid
phalanx in opposing the passage Of such a
bill. Friends, you can prevent II if you
uiii. The present law is poisoning your
whole system, and like the "shir. Of Mes
sus'' i. promises to stick to you until your
death. We appeal to the great masses Of
the couairy people who support the country
press, and 10 whom its existence is inva1u-
able, indeed necessary to arouse and signi-
fy your disapproba.ion at this attempt to
retain this burden upon your backs, for the
benefit Of the orergroacn establishments Of
the great cities and towns. 1t is arbitrary
tao upon knowledge. 1t is an unwhole-
some tax upon the diffusion Of political in
formation, the most necessary class Of in
formation to republican people. The
country paper is your paper; it advises you
oflhelocsl news ofyour own neighborhood.
l. informs you Of the organization, times Of
meeting Of your political parties, of the do
ings and sayings of your own local public
officers. In il are recorded your marriages
and deaths. Through its columns are dis
eussed all the important local questions Of
The day, thereby giving to yon only an OPP
por,uni,y to acquire that facility in writing
so necessary among free people, and so i'm
portant 10 the elevation and refnemen, Of
society.
And further, it is matter Of the frs! ne
eessi,y TO you as the means ofmaking known
and communicating y our business wants, by
way Of advertisements.
Inssmuch then, as nine-ten,hs probably
OF the nation are deeply interested in the re-
moval of this odious tax which is Cypress
ing them wi,hou, just cause, we are q, loss
to imagine upon wha. ground members OF
Congress fail to make an ef1or. for its re-
,noval. We call npon the press, then, to
rise in it's nigh, and demand the vote of the
country members in behalf Of SO useful a
refnrm. and TO rebnke the negligent aud in