The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-09
The Newspapers and the FrHukins
Privilege

We beg members of Congress to go on and
abolish the ranking privilege, destroying it
root and branch, without any reference to
the sudden change of opinion on that subject
which is manifest in the case of certain news
papers. Don't mind us, gentlemen; we
know that your generous souls are erea'lS
exercised in consequence OF the "oo' VIM"
you see will befal as in case thaI ouious us
elimination in favor of class is made away
with. We know that you look at the matter
disinterestedly, from the standpoint of the
newspaper and not from your own; but don't
make burnt offering of yourselves in that
cruel way !-repressing for the sake of the
newspapers the honest and sincere desire Won
have TO relinquish a valuable franchise of
your own. Such instances of seleimmolation
are touching in the extreme, we are bound to
confess. What nobler spectacle can there be
than that OF our magnanimous Congressman
kindly consenting to retain the privilege of
Thanking mail matter to the extent of s53.O0O
postage and $50 tons weight a month, as
they did in January, because they apprehend
Ia silly notion by the way) that it will be
necessary, in case they relinquish it, to have
newspapers pay postage ON their circulation
IN the counties where they are published,
and also on their exchanges.
As we have suggested above, there has been
within few weeks marked change in the
tone of many ne wspapers in regard to the
franking privilege. Papers that heretofore
have Joined with us in clamoring against the
free use of the mails by privileged class have
suddenly discovered that they were hasty and
have eaten their words with intense avidity
The fact seems to be that Congress in years
past endeavored, to bride the newspapers into
silence on the question of the ranking priyi-
ege by permitting them to share in limited
way the freedom of the mails. If the clamor
of the press was ever silenced in this way, il
was only for time. 1t was soon forgotten
iii, in fact, it was true) that the immunity
enjoyed by newspapers in respect to their ex-
changes and local circulation was so connected
with the franking privilege that it must sur
viVe or perish with it; consequently the clam
or has recently redoubled, so that Congress
was compelled to listen. Then it was. that
the House passed almost unanimously the
act repeating the franking privilege, cunning
ly and with prudent foresight coupling with
1t provision taking from newspapers their
special privileges. We can imagine the sar-
donic smile with which the shrewd members
anticipated the change of tone in the press
which would ensue in season to prevent the
too precipitate passage of the act in the Sem
ate. All has happened as they desired. Some
newspapers have radically changed their
views, and the repeating act sticks in the
Senate.
1t is true that the privileges now conceded
to newspapers have nothing to do with the
ranking privilege, and that it is an act of
dishonesty in Congressman to connect the
two things. The right to free exchange and
circulation enjoyed by newspapers is a dis
tnct question, to be decided on its own mer
its without prejudice from an enforced asso-
cation with another privilege for the exercise
OF which there is no excuse or palation.
But no matter for that; if Congressman re-
gard the two things as on the same footing
and refuse to relinquish their iniouitous
ranking privilege unless newspapers are
doomed also, we beg them once more not TO
stlne their virtuous impulses on our own ac-
count. Newspaper prosperity is based upon
something very different from the petty fap-
ENDS OF privileges that the government NAV
accord, and we appeal to our brethren of tbe
excuse Tor making the Postoffice Department
bankrupt.