Des Arc citizen., 1866-08-11
Working for Nothing.

Newspaper publishers have more work to do for nothing. perhaps, than any other class of mechanics in the country. They are more strictly public servants than any other of those who undertake to serve the public, and receive more abuse from the public for not doing their work according to the model set up by the public, which model has as many different phases toit as there are different whims and notions in society.
 They are expected to call attention to every enterprise of however trivial char acter, regardless of whether 1t is of a pri- vate or public nature, that the most ob scure citizen may have set on foot; and should they fail to do so, they are at once set down as stupid fellows, not fit for the position they occupy. If a stump speaker or quack politician happens to make a speech and say few smart things, 1t mat ters not how crude and clumsy his speech may be as whole, he expects to seeit in the newspaper next morning, and fit does not appear, the publisher is set down as dull boy.
 This demand has grown out of the fact that newspapers have so long bowed down to the nominations of party, that the peo pie have come 10 believe that they have q rightto demand this service as matter of right Now, there is just as much req son why demands should be made on . house carpenter, brick mason, basket ma ker, lawyer, doctor, or any other business or professional man for gratultous work, as upon a publisher, and if publishers gener ally would pursue an independent course instead of lowing down their necks to re- ceive the yoke of party yigor, they could defend themselves against these losses and abuse.
 It is false to say that newspapers are compelled to pander to the whims and false notions of vitilated public taste, in order to secure a sufficient support to keep them alive. The public can no more do without the press than they can do without the lawyer, doctor, or the mechanic, and should be required to pay them for vanishing, for advice and prescriptions, the same as they pay the banter, the lawyer and doctor for a similar service.
 A Congressman, or member of State Legislature or Convention write up trim ming speech, on which he spends most of the session, giving but little attention to the regular business of the body to which he belongs, and delivers it on a setocca- sion with great gusto and flourish of rhet orical periods, which speech is manufac- tured expressly to be used as campaign paper Tn the next election. He forthwith calls on the newspapers in his locality to publish 1t as kind ofright which he arro- gates to himself and the papers, so long ac- customed to the yoke, yield to his demands and thus furnish him, free of charge, with his capital in trade.
 This course on the partof the newspaper men of the day, is not only impovershing themselves, but doing great injuryto to the country by furnishing the capitalo which hundreds of small fry politicians and un- principled nincompoops ride into offices which they disgrace Let politicians pay the same rates for advertising themselves in business that merchants and other peo pie pay for advertising their business. and 1t will not be long until we shall have bet ter men in office, aud our publishers will be able to make respectable living, and will have more respect for themselves and for the profession they follow Vtchsbuy HeraM G
 NEW CoUNTERFEITs.- New and dangerous counterfeits of the last issue of the fifty y-cent fractional currency note, which bear upon their face the head of Treasury spinner, have been detected at the treasury department. The paper is thicker than that of the genuine notes, and the general appearance, tho poor, is calculated to deceive unless closely inspect ed. They are most easily distinguishable by the course engraving of the head of Treasury Spinner, which in the genuine is fine and very distinct.