Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-04-13
Correspondence.
Philadelphia Correspondence.
PHILADELPHIA, April 6, 1872.

DEAR AMERICAN -
After an unavoid
able neglect of several weeks l once more
take few minutes for your readers, al
though devoid Of thoughts that may be new
to all of them. The great trouble seems to
be to find subjects, in this age of newspa-
pers, that have not been already worn
threadbare in the columns of some, and it
may be all, the daily journals. If SO, mine
prove to inc. ! must ask the indulgence Of
yourself and readers, and lay it up to the
account of the great progress made by us,
rs people, within the past ten or fifteen
years as reading public. Have you ever
noticed the change since or within that
timep Since the great Rebellion, or with
all due Difference to our Southern brethren,
the late uupleasautncss. the number of
book stores, and particularly the news de-
pots have doubled and even tribled. Not
only so, but in the good old t.mes' of
which our Democratic friends never cease
to remind us, there was not much more
than one half as many papers published,
and not more than one third as many read
ers as there now arc. This may seem
strange but it is nevertheless susceptible Of
easy demonstration. Take either this city,
our own town or county and my assertion
will be fully proved. Look Mt the street
cars in the morning, a boy enters calling off
in incomprehensible jaigon the names of
half dozen papers. Enter the same car
or n similar one the same afternoon, and
the same shrill accents greet your ears, and
another half dozen different names are cal
led off for you to exercise your choosing
faculties upon. The greatest increase
seems to have been in daily and weekly pa
pers, and the next in monthly magazines.
Every household you will find with one or
the other, may be all. That this change is
productive of great good none will deny,
but there seems to be needed somewhere or
somehow a guard to protect our young
from that portion SO injurious to their NOR
al and religious culture. What has caus-
ed it? The answer brings MS back to '6l
and '65 when our nation was being tried,
as silver in the fire. The newspaper when
attainable, and the letter from home and
loved ones, never received half as often as
wished for, taught the soldier and sailor
their worth, anxious watching for the
''news from the front" the feaIs and JOYS
of those at home, made that portion OF our
people readers, and the lesson once master
ed, like all good ones, and many bad ones,
will stick to us through life and be handed
down to the generations after us.
OF course the great subject now upon
the thoughts of all more or less, is the COM
ing political campaign. The people have
settled in their minds that Gen. Grant is
their choice and is entitled and deserving
of second term. DISCONTINUED politicians
may wrangle as much as they please about
it. Talk of Anti-Grant Republicans and
Democrats fusing, as well try to mix oil
and water. They know it won't work.
They've heard the news from New Hamp-
shire and Connecticut, and the hand wri-
4. e. he uon hO
for every disappointed applicant for office,
or his friends, two Democrats will vote for
Gen. Grant, against their own nominee
and four or more if their choice is between
him or mongrel Republican. As goes
Pennsylvania so goes the Union. Let us
remember il and remember that success is
needed in October as well as in November,
and the day of Rings is over. The people
demand good men for leaders, and if their
own parties 40 not give them such, they
will seek elsewhere. All depends upon the
acceptability of the leader of our State tick
ct. The Evening Star Of to-day comment
ing upon it thinks the people will not be
willing to place confidence in any one con-
nected with Harrisburg for the past nye
years. If sc our gallant friends Hartranit,
Jordan and White, will have 70 give way
The same cannot be urged against our
friend Packee from your Congressional
District, so says the same paper, and men
tions several others. am glad to see our
Packer men are awakening. l trust not
too late, Before this goes to press it will
be decided. and hope the same issue will
have at the mast head, for Governor, JOHN
B. PACKER, of Northumberland county.
| If SO, am willing to bet a new hat with
any Democrat upon his being our next
Governor, and carrying Northumberland
county for himself He is worker and II
OCCAeIoSAL,