Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-14

, matter of course, to supply them gratis be-
cause they, likewise, are servants, either OF
the public or the Lord. And the list
grows, until sometimes it amounts to hun
dreds, and rarely to less thaR sc0res-and
what is it all worth? Not one quarter
what it costs. L know an editor who feels
too poor to dress well enough to attend
church, and yet whose contributions to the
support of the gospel exceed one hundred
dollars a year. Half Of it or more goes to
persons whom he does not know, and less
than one-t third of it did he ever subscribe
III IL We're charity given IN any other form
he would be both thanked and praised by
the beneficaries, though probably he would
be watched by his creditors, who would be
likely to think he had better - be just before
he was generous The editor knows he is
doing wrong, but he dislikes to be small,
and 50 he takes gentle hints and beeds at
every pore. There is only one safe rule,
and that Is, TO do business as business and
not as charity. 1t we have anything To
give, let US give it rs others do consciously,
willingly, from surplus and not from stock.
THE POACHERs on THE PRESS.
There is a too wildly prevalent notion thl
country newspapers are published for the
accommodation of their patrons rather than
for their enlightenment. As a consequence.
form his friends of it through our columns
without expense, though he pays for his Ii
cense and pays the minister for the amen
Others, too, If a father, a brother or a mem
Der OF their Lodge dies, though he may have
been unknown 10 nInety-nrne one hnndredths
Of our readers, and like Pollock's man may
have never 10 ,ked " beyond the visible circle
that gIrt him round - yet expect us to yield
quarter Of a column for resolutions, run in
f.-. ! = -, 4
" # we are unwilling to cucumber our pa
per to that extent without reward. | have
heard Of one case, of recent occurrence,
which well Illustrates this tendency to
trench for private ends upon the space
which the editor feels he ought to use Tor
the best entertainment and advantage of the
greatest number. \ respectable man, rath-
er prominent IN his town and somewhat
known throughout the county, died. and
the editor of the county paper, hearing of it,
made brief and appropriate editorial men
tiOn Of the mOurnlul fact. After a few days
a neighbJr of the deceased communicated a
similar article and this also was published
\ week or two after this his pastor sent, in
regular form, "A notice Of the death, fllowed
hy several paragraphs giving religious his
tory Of the good old man. with the request
that the bill for publishing the same be sent
to his son. This was done and in few
days the son made his appearance, red in
the face, and wanted 70 know if that was
the way the editor treated his a. old sub
scribers. The editor explained that he
had done merely as directed, but this did no
good and the man finally laid down the US
ual alternative, a." cross out the charge OF
stop my paper. = Here | drop the curtain
because ] promised not to tell the result
but what would you have done Would
you not have asked the man, if. as an '' old
subscriber - be had not received his money s
worth Would You not have tried TO con-
vince him thar simply because you bought
his butter he ought not TO lie expected To
give YOU his cheese? Would YOU not have
told him that setting up the type and
printing the paper cost you money, and that
you ought not % gratuitiOusly embalm his
father 5 memory any more than the under
taker his remains? After all this you might
have continued to send the IncorrigIble your
paper avs a missionary measure, but you
would never have wanted 60 meet him again
in this world. nor expected to in the next
In the cities all notices of marriages,
deaths, appointments and all other business
and many religious notices are paid lors In
the country there IL ten times as much need
that they should De-, though a hundred times
less disposition to do it. would not my
self recommend that the ordinary short no
dict who does not feel liberal enough 10 pay
the printer fifty cents for announcing 10 the
world his cousgmmated bliss do'e''cs 10
have his happiness = sour on y him and sus |
icious rumor Menkcnize his fame.
A REASONABLE RULE
But If course, in all these things reason |
Is t. be used. | only plead for a rule to
which there may be exceptions, but which |
shall enable the publisher to derive, as ey-
,rybody else derives, a fair and legitimate /
income from his resources. How much /
more comfortable, how much more digniticd,
now much more certain this will be than the
.ravIng, cringing cowardice which darcs not
claim its own, but goes before the public
with that elimination of cnpIdny embodied
q the phrase, - poor printer F." great
acknowledged Archimedean
ever Of the nineteenth century ought by
lie very sOundncss OF its business basis to be
lboye distress and above temptation, always
.1urtcous, but always courageous, the un-
linchng triend Of the people, and the strong
-Ight arm of Christianity.
Firm iu the right, the daily press should bc
The tyraut'- foe, the champion OF the free;
Faithful and constant To its -acrei trust.
Calm ia its uttcrancc; M ITS judgments just;
Wise lu It- tcIc hlnG- uuCurrupt, ana strong
To speed the % -ht and to dcuounce the wrong,
Long may IL bc ere candor must confess
Freedoms shores "a weak and EFual 90