Daily national Democrat., 1860-01-28
A Queer Move.


Postmaster General Holt recommends to
Congress the adjustment of the privilege
now extended to the publishers of newspa
pers TO exchange with their cotemporaues
throughout the Union, free of charge. He
in favor of making publishers pay postage on
all the exchanges which they receive The
law which he proposes to abolish has been III
force for the last thirty-6ve years, and we
believe no one, before the advent of MIR.
Holt. ever thought of repeating it. His rea-
sons for this extraordinary position are as
follows:
The newspapers received in exchange by the
journalist are, in the pRrlance of commerce, his
stock in trade. From their column he gathers
materials for his own and thus makes the same
business use Of them that the merchant does OF
his goods or the mechanic does Of his raw mate
rial which he proposes to manufacture into fabrics
But as the Government transports nothing Tree OF
charge to the farmer the merchant Ut the me-
chanic to enable them to prosecute successfully
and economically their respective pursuits, why
shall il do So for the j urnalst? II the latter can
rightiully claim that his newspapers shall thus DE
delivered tn him at public expense, why may he
not claim that his stationary and his type, ana
indeed everything which enters into the prepar1'-
ton Of the sheets he issues as his means OF living
be delivered to him on the same termsg
Mr.. Holt wholly misunderstands the OBJ
iect of this law 1t Is not intended as ben
eft to the publishers of newspapers at ALL
but as benefit 20 the reading public. The
purpose is to extend such facilities to the
publ shers of newspapers as will enable them
to afford their publications at cheaper rates.
1t makes but little difference to the publisher
of newspaper whether he has to pay pos
tage on his exchanges or not, because, if he
is compelled to pay this postage, he will OF
course charge more for his paper, and the tax
will thus fall upon his subscribers. The re
suit of the repeal, then, of this wholesome
and wise statute is nothing more nor less
than a tax upon the dissemination of knowl-
edge throughout the country. The cost of
printing public journal is heavy. and the
subscription price of the most of them is
even now beyond the ability of many poor
persons to pay. To increase this price, then,
by increasing the cost of publication, is TO
still more extensively deprive the intelligent
poor of pleasant resource which they
greatly prize.
1t need hardly be argued at this late day,
that Il wide diffusion of knowledge is one of
the best safeguards of republican form of
government and necessary to the preserva-
ton of public liberty. or that it is also a
strong preventive of those innumerable
crimes which flow from Ignorance and minds
run TO weeds and waste. Whatever the gov
eminent can do, therefore. within any rea.
sonable compass, for Tightening the tax upon
the transportation of books or newspapers,
or upon the publication of them for the gen
eral good, it certainlr ought to do
The law of 1925 is one of the wisest ever
enacted by any government careful of the in
terests of its people. And SO far from in
creasing the burdens upon the dissemination
Of knowledge among the masses. the policy
ought to be to make them still lighter.