The New York herald., 1864-11-29
superb Special Picoe OF Businsss-A
Treasury Coon Come Down.

a SupOrO 0peC4ol RteC0 OF Buslneeg-A
Treasury Coon Come Down.
Our readers will remember that We alluded,
few days ago, to a very mean piece Of busi-
ness on the part Of the Treasury Department.
The department sent US an advertisement OF
tho sale Of some confscated property, which
We published and charged for at our own
| rates. When the bill was sent on the depart
| ment objected to paying 1t, because 1t was
larger than the bills Of some one-horse papers
In town. 1t did not seem to strike the depart
| ment that We charged more money because we
gave the advertisement greater publicity,
and that our rates were the cheapest because
our circulation is the largest. A superb
special agent, known and respected as Mr..
ii. A. Risley, took the matter in hand, aud we
elucidated for his benefit the reason, the logic,
the philosophy and the Importance OF the sub.
ject. Mir. Rsley listened to our reasons, was
convinced by our logic, appreciated our phi
losopby, and came down, like Captain ScOtt's
coon, as follows:--
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
1asAsugy DEPARTMENT, Nov. 20, 1884
eRYour letter OF the 23d nst addressed 10 Assistant
Secretary Fied, bas referred me- suppose
Is ended as reply TO ny letter Of the 22d addressed
TO you.
ooncede your right to Ok your terms, and persons
advertising IN the HERALD should pay according 70
terms.
therefore enclose draft, payable to your order, Cor
$l95 &c. the amount OF your recepted bill now In my
possession Respectfully yours,
supg. Special Agent Treasury Department
There are, unfortunately many men in Wash
ington, and especially in the departments upon
whom logic and philosophy have no effect,
They are too thick-headed to comprehend, aud
too stupid to understand the force Of our rea-
soning. Secretary Chase was one of this sort,
and we finally philosophical him oat OF Office.
Secretary Welles has tho same characteristics;
but we have not yet been able to argue him
out OF the Navy Department or into capturing
Wilmiagtsn. II might be- invidious to name
others who are equally senseless, and. upon
whom We have wasted enoagh logic to satisfy
WhateSy, and enough philosophy TO make Ba-
con rise from his grave aud call US blessed.
Suffice IL to say. then. that Mr.. Risley is net
one of these men. He is q superb special
agent in double sense, end through him We
have accomplished a superb piece OF business.
His. letter establishes most just and valuable
precedent. He comedies our right to fix our
terms, and that persons advertising in the HE-
RAID should pay according to our terms" This
is precisely the principle which we have been
attempting to establish. Everybody has ed
mitted it,. from the chambermsids Of our pri-
vate chambers to the chambermen Of our
Chamber Of Commerce, and only the depart
ments have remained unconyerted. Now Mr..
Risley acknowledges the cereal on the part OF
the Treasury people, and our sole regret is
that we have not Risley in every one Of the
departments Of the government.
All reforms must have q. commencement,
however, and we do not doubt that the other
departments will be converted in due time.
There Is the Post Office Department, for exam-
ple According to Mr.. Risley's concession, the
Post Office owes US some thirty or forty thou
sand dollars for advertisements inserted under
our usual rates. The Postmaster Of this city
is a very good man; bat the Postmaster Gene
raj obliges him to 70 round to the editors, hat
in hand, begging them to print bis advertise
ments for mere pittance. We did SO for
awhile out Of charity to the department; bat
at last the nuisance grew toe great, and we
refused to be imposed upon any longer. This
paper and that paper and the other paper also
refused; and when one Of the journals finally
accepted the advertisement, it was with the
idea that its editor-the Hon. Henry j. Ray
mond--would bring the matter before the peXt
Congress, Of which he is to be the Speaker.
as the republicans have nobody else who can
keep them In order Mr. Raymond will malse
an excellent Speaker, and he will be in a
position to confer . great favor upon the
whole press by obtaining Congressional
enforcement Of the principle conceded by Mr..
Risley, viz:-That every newspaper has a right
TO fix its own terms, and that all those who
advertise in . newspaper-no matter whether
they belong in department. Of the govern
ment or In Q department Of bnsinesa--ought to
pay according to those terms. We would urge
the Postmaster General to do q graceful thing
by making the same avowal ~ Mr.. Risley,
before he Is forced TO do so by act OF Congress;
but, unfortunately, we do not now know who the
Postmaster General is. Montgomery Blair has
resigned; but who has succeeded himi There
was jolly joke< from Ohio mentioned In con-
nection with che place; but whether President
Lincoln gave 1t to him, or whether Old Abe
decided TO do oil the joking in Washington
himself, we are really ignorant Under
these circumstances Wa rely upon Mr.. Ray
I nond, the Speaker who is 10 be; and we have
no doubt that he will sco that justice Is done
| to the press in regard to these advertisements
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