The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-07-06
Newspaper Prescription.

The honorable portion of the press OF the
country, without regard to party, generally
unites in censuring the Illinois Grant Radica.
State Committee, OF whose 81 members II are
oiiice holders, for advising all radicals In the
State to cease buying or IN any way Patrons
ing the Chicago Tribune. While any indi-
vldual has an undoubted right to buy or sub
scribe for and read any paper that suits him,
and to discontinue taking or reading any
other paper for any reason or no reason at all
it IS a very different affair when State Cen
trial Committee, or its chairman, or any func-
tionary Of any sort who happens to possess a
position of sufficient influence uses that in
uence in prescribing certain newspaper or
other business establishments; for all amounts
to the same thing whether the Illinois State
Radical Committee instruct their party dupes
to cease reading and publishing their adver-
tisements in the 7ribune or to cease purchasing
their dry goods of c. B. Farwell & Co., or any
other business house For, besides its few
columns OF editorial matter in favor Of Greeley
which the Tribune daily publishes, its daily
Issue contains dozen of columns Of general
news and dozen more of commercial news
probably more important and valuable than
that of any other paper in the West; and hay
ing an immense circulation, the Tribune Is pro.
baby a more valuable advertising medium
than any other western paper Shall any central
committee, OF other selt-constituted authority
set themselves up and issue orders to their un.
derlings that they shall neither avail them
selves of the valuable news, commercial infor.
nation or advertising facilities of certain
newspaper because in its columns may be
found something else, legitimate enough as
newspaper matter, but distasteful to the said
committee or selfconstituted authority! This
Is simple censorship of the press, which in
this country at least is regarded as odious and
despicable. A man who will read no news
paper unless its views on all questions agree
with his own, is bigot and incapable of cast
ing an intelligent vote. The man who
spends his money IN paying for and adver-
Using IN newspaper merely for the sake of
potr0niSing it and with no hope of realizing
from it his moneys worth, is, in a business
sense at least u fool; if he withholds his adj.
vertising from another paper where it would
be profitable. because he don't agree in the
editors views he is a bigger tool still while
the committee or authority of any sort that
undertakes TO dictate in such matters is an
unauthorized censorship that belongs only to
the lowest order OF European or Asiatlc
despotism,
1t only remains to add, in conclusion, in the
| language OF the Kansas City Times, that ST.
in addition to political prescription, distran-
chisement, bayonct sway at the polls, and Ca
valry patrols in the election precincts, we are
to have the element CT commercial, proscrlp-
ton and business ostracism introduced into
TIE campaign by the army OF the Empire, we
think the friends of Mr.. Greeley and Reform
are ready for the issue Almost every editor
of few years. experience has met with this
sort of petty censorship ana prescription, and
as Il rule overlooks it. But Grant committee
men and business men generally who like TO
play Napoleon in this way, m'ght get new
ideas on the subject if, as the Kansas paper
suggests, the editors should turn upon them
, and oppose such malice with like malice.