The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-29
The Georgia Press ssociation.- Frank
s. ing Privileges. s sS'

The Georgia Press Association : rank
ing Privileges.
The sandersyille GA Herald, whose edi.i
tor. We believe, offered In the State Press
Association the resolutions which we lately
made the basis Of an attack upon the effort
now being made to let editors and congress.
men use the malls without paying for the
privilege, seems to deny that bis object was
to secure the repeal OF the law which pre-
vents editors from receiving their exchanges
free and from sending out their papers free
In the counties wherein these are published.
He quotes from the circular, copy OF wh i';i
he some time since sent us, what purports 70
be the portions to which we objected, anu
Indignantly propounds two queries
Scan the turbid fancy of the Dispatch
writer find here his frantic demand Tor the
restoration of the exchange privilege! Can
he find aught in the aims Of the Georgia
press Association that does not commend
itself to the earnest and careful judgment of
every high.minded journalist in the land ..
We will answer. The following are ex.
tracts from the circular sent to US. The
editor who offered the resolutions which
were adopted by the Georgia Press Associa1
ton said in Offering them:
at occurs to me, sir, that In view OF the
recent hostile Legislation of Congress upon
the newspaper question, the refusal OF our
own Legislature to pay even the small cour.
iesy of referring TO d committee memorial
from the journalists of the State, seeking re-
lief from an onerous and an unusual law IN
juriously affecting their interests; the ire
quent incorporate and abusive attacks maze
upon the press of the whole country by
prominent and Influential senators and
members of the lower House OF Congress,
the time has come for the members or our
noble craft throughout the land to combine
not only for their protection, but for the far
grander and loftier purpose Of making the
great power they PROFESSIONALLY possess
available for the protection Of constitutional
liberty from the encroachment and usurpa-
lions of greedy and inscriptions power"
What "recent hostile legislation of Con-
gress'' did he refer to? Evidently, the law
refusing to editors the privileges we have
mentioned. This is too plain to need argu-
ment. Indeed, it admits of none; for there
hid been no other "hostile legislation by
Cjngress." The resolutions adopted pro-
posed the formation of national Press AS
ISOLATION, having the following objects:
"Resolred. That the object of this move
ment is to promote the varied interests of the
people, the general welfare Of the country,
lhe dissemination Of knowledge, to resist the
cacroachments Of po,cer, and for the presef-
yation of constitutional liberty"
We understood the words "the dissemi-
nation OF knowledge" to mean that the
Georgia editors wanted their papers to be
circulated free through the mails, and de-
sired also to receive their exchanges free
and the words Entertainments of powerp
to refer to the withdrawal Of those privi-
leges by Congress. r
1t viii be seen that we had very good rea-
sons for supposing that the Georgia editors
were anxious to become once more postal
deadheads. But as the Herald denies that
it clamors for SO "paltry a privilege" we
give them all the benefit Of its disclaimer.
Yet even in this disclaimer, if we were I'M
charitable, we might find the same purpose
which we thought we had discerned in the
resolutions referred to. The Herald asks:
If the press of the country is satisfied
with the postal law Us 1t now stands we Will
abide by it. But no prudent, thoughtful
man can fail to discern the real motive IN.
DERIVING the action of Congress in excluding
free newspapers from the mails. Is there no
u fp1f fIrof
step was taken adversely to the interests of
the press? Is there nothing in it suggestive
to ambitious minds, grasping for every SEM
blance Of power and perfect immunity in the
future? We are opposed to any measure
looking to a restoration Of that huge fraud
and swndIe, the franking privilege"
just SO. The Herald is opposed to that
"huge fraud and swindle," which formerly
enabled three hundred congressman to use
the mails without paying for that use, but
entirely in favor of that "huge fraud and
swindle which enabled six thousand ed.
tors to do the same thing. Truly, men are
incapable of forming correct judgment on
any subject if selt-iuterest interposes itself
between their eyes and the subject.
upon Congress, the franking privileges of
congressman and editors will be restored.
The editors who wish to have the priv.
lege themselves and deny it to Congress can
not be relied upon, we are sure, to fight it
out on the line of principle. In fact, they
spike their own guns. What could be finer
sport than for congressman to mount the
stump and castigate the editor who should
denounce him for using the franking privi-
legc, but who should nevertheless be con-
stantly using that same privilege himself9
The people would enjoy the castigation, and
despise the hypocrisy which denounces in
others the faults of which we are ourselves
guilty.
The Mcmahon Correspondence.
The Lynchburg Press, Colonel HuGHEs's
organ, says:
"The Dispatch goes into ecstacies and dis |
plays the intelligence with headlines that
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