The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1870-05-12
EDITORIAL CONVENTION

approved.
Capt. Putnam was excused from
duty as orator.
On motion, Gen. Wildes, A. McFar-
land aud Capt. Putnam were appoint
ed a committee to prepare business,
and reported the following rcsolu-
tiOns:
ReSolUed, That we are opposed to
the repeal by Congress of the law au-
thOTizing the free carriage of News
papers, through the mails, in the
counties in which they are published.
Resolved, That we endorse the &C.
ton Of the State Association of edi-
tors, lately assembled at Springfield,
on this subject.
Gen. Wildes was opposed to the re-
peal of the franking privilege. but
thought such laws should be enacted
as would do away with the abuses
connected with it.
Capt. Putnam thought the repeal OF
the frauking law, so far as the carry
ing of county papers were concerned,
was a conspiracy on the part of city
papers to break down county papers,
that were not firmly established, and
to concentrate all information and
power of the press in large cities, as
is the case in Europe. The abuse of
the ranking privilege was in distrib-
uting useless political documents
not Official.
Mr.. Stimson remembered when the
law for carrying county papers free
within The limits oftheir own county
was PASSED by Congress, it was pop
ular then and is popular now. So far
as the free exchange of papers was
concerned, he did not care how soon
it was done away with.
Mr.. Mcfarland was in favor of the
repeal of the tranking law, and
thought all newspapers should pay
postage according to the distance
they were carried in the mails. The
PRINTING! of thousands of tons of Off
cial documents by the government,
and its distribution through the mails,
was a useless expenditure. He had
stacks of them at home that he never
looked into, and would sell them for
three cents per pound.
Mr.. Mackley had not definitely con-
cluded that the present law ought to
be repealed. He did not read many
of these documents himself, but many
of the people did. He believed in the
government encouraging the distri-
button of knowledge. Why not make
the army and navy selt-sustaining, as
well as the Post Office Department? =?
The large mass of the people were
by one, but only a few use
less officers and employees by the 9TH
er. Could not say that he was in IA
vor OF repeating the presentlaw.
Gen. Wildes then offered the follow
ing additional resolutions. which with
the first named resolutions were
adopted with two dissenting voices.
and Armstrong;
ReSOlred, That we oppose the re-
peal of the laws granting the frauking
privilege, to members of Congress,
and heads Of Departments, but that
we do favor, and urge such legislation
by Congress, as will prevent the
frauds, and abuses now practiced uu-
der these laws.
ReSOlred, That we request our mem
bcrs OF Congress, to oppose the re-
peal of these laws, and that they labor
to secure such legislation as will
the abuses growing out of
them, as they now stand upon the
statute books.
The committee on business then re-
ported further:
ReSOlued. That the rates of the
county papers for legal and transient
should be uniform in all
,he counties, and that the charge
should be one dollar per square for
,he first insertion, and fifty cents for
each subsequent insertion.
Adopted unanimously
A resolution was then introduced,
for uniform rates as 10 for
,ign advertising, which after thor
ough discussion was adopted.
A committee Of three was then ap-
pointed to carry out the provisions of
he" above resolution, the purport of
which will be made known to the
press of the State by said Committee,
which is composed as follows: Put
nam, Armstrong and Bond of the
Jhillicothe Advertiser, Register anti
Gazette, respectively.
Adjourned till IL o'clock,
Convention met pursuant to ad-
ournment. On motion the Conven-
ion proceeded to the election of Off
,ers for the ensuing year, with the
result:
President, r. M. Stimson OF the Ma.
,ietta Register.
Vice President, John II. Putnam of
he Chillicothe Advertiser.
Secretary, John T. Raptr of the
Vinton Record.
Executive Committee, f. E. Arm
strong, Ross County Register; WV.
Bond, Scioto Gazette, and T. F.
Athens journal.
On motion of Mr.. Jennings, the Sec
-etary was instructed to transmit a
copy of the proceedings of this meet
ng, to the Secretary of the State AS
ISOLATION, to be presented at their
next annual session.
The question OF the place of next