Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-07-01
A LETTER WHICH THE TRIB-
UNE DIDN'T PUBLISH.

The following letter was sent to the
New York Tribune but suppressed by
that paper. The Buffalo IN. Y, )Com-
mercial in publishing it says:
We undertake to say that one such letter
as this possesses more political signif-
canoe than whole batch of the disjoint-
ed fragments of epistles which the Trib-
une has so anxiously displayed, and
there is no doubt that Mr.. Greeley so
understood it. Lewis F. Allen has a far
wider personal acquaintance among the
farmers of America than has any writer
connected with the Tribune. He is
recognized authority with them, as the
author Of several standard works, and as
compiler and publisher of the American
Herd Book, which has now reached its
eleventh volume with 1,l5Opages. We
mention these facts merely to show how
good Mr.. Aliens means of information
are likely to be, as to the political senti-
ment prevailing among the Tribune's
agricultural subscribers.
BUFFALO, N. Y, May %, 1872
Editor NeU York Tribune:
After preliminary explanation, per-
NIT me to ask you question touching
the business relations between a news
paper and its subscribers.
In the Legislative session of this State
at Albany, in 1888, thirty-four years
ago, | first became acquainted with
Horace Greeley, who was In attendance
there, reporting for his paper in your
city, called I believe, the New Yorker.
Batting some rather odd idiosyncracies
about him, I liked the man, for there
acas stuff IN him. In common with the
ninety-nin other members of that Wing
House of Assembly-there were a hun
dred of us, all told, besides ten or twelve
in the Senate became his warm per-
sonal friend and have ever since so re-
manned, and have taken the several pa
pers which, during their existence to the
present time, he has edited-Jefersonian,
Log Cabin, Tribune. believed him
honest, wonderfully industrious, able,
versatile. and, in majority of his opin-
ions, right. Best of all | liked his
broad philanthropy-his just ideas Of
political and other conomies-Protec-
ton to Home Industry, Tariff-and his
unconquerable advocacy of and fidelity
to human rights. Whenever | have had
an opportunity to vote for him did it.
So much for our political relations.
Now, for my question: Whenever |
paid my annual subscription for the
Tribune, in advance, which was the
rule of the paper, l supposed a mutual
tacit understanding existed that the po-
litical character of the paper was to
continue as it had been, in its general
principles, while [ paid for it. [ cared
nothing about Mr.. Greeley's persona,
crotchets let them 60, if the expression
of them suited him. About four month
of my present years subscription have
now passed Mr.. Greeley has left the
editorial conduct of the paper; its en-.
tire political character has changed and
here | am, having paid for Republi.
can paper, in which [ mainly believed
but now, by its change of conduct do moi
believe in it at all. How stands ou1
contract? | care not for the paltry
sum of unearned subscription which
have paid, but as matter of politica
and business ethics, is it right for yor
to keep my money for what I did mo-
subscribe? I would like to know The
fact, in order to govern my future news
paper conduct.
In my opinion, three .fourths at leas
, of the Tribune's subscribers are of my
way of thinking, for | have not seen tn,
first pronounced Republican who believe
in your present range of politics, OF who
were he not alrerdy a subscriber to tn,
paper, would become SO.
Please answer my questions, ant
, oblige a subscriber and reader of tn,
Tribune from the beginning.
LEWIS f. ALLEN.