The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-04-24
DOWN ON NEWSPAPERS.

EvER since the commencement of the
present war marked hostility to newspa-
pers has characterized tho acts Of many Of
our military and civil officials. The first at
tempt was an endoavor to place restrictions
upon them through tho Post-Oilice Depart
ment, but tho bill failed to pass the House.
Then military censorship WAS established,
which, however desirable an institution, and
just in its intentions, acted very harshly to.
wards some of the newspaper fraternity
Lator, the tax-bill, now pending before the
House, imposes burthens upon the newspa-
per press which can only result i'll the
death of the majority of the papers now
published. All the stock 10 heavily taxed
which enters into their composition, and
which must be paid by the publishers, and
then tho tax upon their advertisements and
otherwise, makes the proposed burthen
very heavy, and unjustly SO, in Wow of the
fact that no branch of business has suffered
NO heavily from the condition of the coun-
try. Very many papers have simply been
running at loss for months past, or only
making current expenses, without the most
remote prospect of healthy and comfort
able margin.
The military have viod with Congress IN
animosity towards newspapers, and have
regarded with an macconhtabla horror the
presence within the lines of their cores
pondents. Gen. Stone, and Gen. Sherman,
(of nhio,) particularly, cyinced a decided
sntipathy to that olass of persons, and sub
sequcnt events showed that they had every
rcason 10 avoid honeat inquiry into their
acts. This feeling has always been tho more
marked as their own unpopularity with the
public became moro apparent.
Lastly, our retrenchig Legielatpro, (ciie
the qdjournod session. in its cagorncss TO
deude the pecpE, into tl.c belief that they
were cconomizing III the Government, took
up tho strain and by dint of repeating tho
provision for the publication of the laws,
with u!o idea, no doubt, that the people
would know thea W iptuition) decreasing
the number of insertions Of tLe delinquent
list, reducing the fees for advertising sher-
iif's sales, and cutting down generally the
already paltry income they receive from
the county and State, have succeeded in
saving I, :hc people, by depriving them of
necessary information, of about one-hall
the amount that has been pai0 t..r legisla-
tiys holidays this winter. This hostility 10
rather novel, a. ninety-ninc out of every
hundred OF these mon owe their military or
civil positions almost entirely TO the pteas.
Perhaps they fear that tho power which
made them can and will mnalle them jHst
as readily, and are therefore, attempting,
by uniriendly legislation" to decrease tho
pumber of their arbitors to as small fig
urs ss possible.
The Columbus JQWndl closes well writ
ten article on this subject in the following
expressive language: THE people are ers
orywhere beginning to look at this business
of rctrenchmsn,4 aEd 70 give expression, in
terms moro emphatic than sniaLlp, 10 their
conclusion that these professions of re-
trenchmont are all humbug. They will de-
mand and uphold a judicious economy in
State expenditure with frmness and fidelity;
but they will seattle and scout tho men
whose mouths proclaim retrenchment while
their hands squander the peoples treasure"