New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-06

DR.. Jonathan Pitney is the Postmaster At Absa
CON- NeW-Jersey The duties of his Office are
probably rot very profitable, and therefore not on
erous. Being neither onerous nor profitable t.
hmseti, It is the aim Of the Doctor to render them
as useful as possible to his peighbors. Like all
ambitious men, he makes the most of small oppor.
tunities
1t has hitherto been considered the duty of a
Postmaster simply to receive and distribute letter
ard newspapers, on due payment of postage
thereon, except at the South, where larger vieg
ofthepurp of government prevail and where the
Postmaster is also censor. In that region he con
ceives it to be his duty to exercise strict surye.
lance over the morals OF the neiehbOthOod, and to
decide what public Journalist it is good for the people
to read; il he would look occasionally into their
private correspondence, he would render an add
tional and kindred service. How important a
member Of society the Postmaster thus becomes
We know by the results of this system. The peo-
pie are saved great deal of useless and bother
some thinking, and have it all done for them at the
public expense. Another inevitable and whole
some consequence is that they learn to do, as
Henry A. Wise thanked God they did in his dis
tnct, without newspapers. The pecuuary saving,
as wei as the saving 10 brains, is large.
We, at the North, have not been hitherto alive
to the advantages of this system, and therein Dr.
Jonathan Pitney, at Absecom, has found his mis-
sion. Mr Buchanan having placed him IN posi-
hon ofpublc trust, aud having duly taken an oath
to discharge that trust in accordance with the
laws, his powerful mind grasps the subject in all
Ats relations. His familiarity with history, and
with the high point Of civilization which the South
has reached under pOstmasteria censorship,
suggested to him, in due season, what was good
for the people of AbsecOm. DR.. Jonathan de-
cdes that their tender minds are not to be trusted
with such perniciOus reading as would come to
them through Republican jOutnsls-such, for in
stance, as THE TRIBUNE and another mschievous
sheet Of the same complexion, The atlantic Jour
nal, published in his peighbOrhoOd. He has been,
on the whole, rather successful 10 his laudabe eff
forts to preserve the morals of the community I'M
tainted. But, unhappiy, the community is net
much obliged to him. Such is always the fate of
refomers.
Not that he attempted to carry his reform all at
once, for the Doctors practice is not the heroic
practice. 1t is bad to read Republican journals,
but not so bad if it is well paid for. The Doctors
prescription therefore, for this moral disease has
not been total abstinence, but about triple postage
II that was refused by the patient, teen he was
permitted 10 continue in his evil courses by the
payment Of double the u-ual charge; but in 10 case
is he allowed to pure himself at the rate provided
by short-sghted and ;hOughtless legislation.
Forty copies of THE WEEKLY TRIBUNE are |
sent regularly 10 the AI--~v." osV-V"00' "e'
they are permitted to reach the subscribers and TO
yitiate their minds, only according to this sort OF
sliding scale, regulated by the Obstinacy OF those
to whom they belong, ard the Judgment OF the
Postmaster. 1t lie, we presume, owing To the
fact that Dr. Jonathan PitneJ was physician De-
fore he was Postmaster, that he adopted the ex'
pedent of making his patients pay lee Tor tne
course of moral treatment through which he puts
them,