The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-04-03
~ I1kfy .Nfusl,aper Postage.
arPRrsESrArrvE coSeER's SPEECH.


In the House Of Representatives, February
2G, the bill to allow newspapers to go free in
the mails within the counties where published
and for the free transmission o. public docu-
ments. being under discussion, Mr. Conger
spoke a. follows;
For several years the rural press OF the coun-
try have had the privilege of circulating within
the counties where the different papers were
published, free in the mails. 1t was not part
OF the ranking privilege. II was by act of Con-
gress, authorizing weekly papers to be carried
to subscribers in the mails free, independent
OF any ranking privilege. aud these papers
and other publications were permitted to re-
ceive their exchanges free.
IN the common judgment of the country this
was proper and right. Considering the short
distance for which they were carried, and the
necessity OF communicating to the people in
the rura districts the general intelligence which
they might receive from their newspapers and
from other papers it was right that the law
should be passed. Gentlemen Will remember
that there has never been, FOR the last five
years, session OF Congress but some one has
introduced bill to repeal that privilege. And
on each successive occasion have had the
honor. n common with many other members,
OF opposing the repeal OF that law and securing
to the rural newspapers their free transmission
to the subscribers fo- their papers, and the
free reception OF their exchanges. But IN the
hurry and confusion and the excitement OF the
last Congress, in its last session and IN the last
hours or it, that privilege, OF which 10 one
complained, the propriety Of which az ad-
mitted,-was swept away. uncared for and Tn
thought of by members o! Congress,-it Is said
out OF spite. speak not OF it in that way;
say IN tbe hurry and confusion.
Now, desire to call the attention OF every
member o. this House to the fact which must
be within bis knowledge that. almost without
exception, every country newspaper in the
United states has demanded the restoration OF
that privilege, while the daily newspapers in
our large cities were generally opposed to It's
restoration. The Issue to-day is between the
large papers, that circulate all over the Uuited
states, and are sent for the same postage as
the weekly papers within their own counties,-
the contest is to-day between the great MAN.
moth dailies and the weekly papers Of the rural
districts believe. sill, that We ought 10 re-
store the law. There has been so universal
demand for ii. not only on the part OF publish
ers OF papers, but on the part Of all the SUBJ
scribers to those papers. that we cannot well
resist II. The Publishers Associations in sew
eral OF the states-and speak more particu-
larry OF the late meeting of the Publishers AS
ISOLATION in the State OF Michigan-have passed
resolutions, after careful discussion. requiring
the restoration OF that privilege. l had the
honor 70 introduce in the early days OF this
session, on the 18th day OF December. a ill
granting the restoration of that privilege.
wish tLe committee had reported bill similar
to that. or similar 10 the last portion OF their
bill row before the House, independent OF any
other consideration. l have no doubt that it
would have passed this House by an over
whelmiug majority. They saw fit. however,
to couple it with other provisions, which re-
gret, because would desire that the voice OF
the House should be expressed upon this alone.
But whether the bill before us be adopted or
defeated. | have no doubt that such bill as
that. IL presented TO this House by itself, will
pass. Therefore / leave that portion OF the
subj ct.
Now in regard to the distribution of public
documents provided for by this bill. 1t Is a
strange theory which men advocate on this
floor Intelligent men. men who are loud III
giorif Slng themselves for their devotion to the
people aud 10 the wants and the interests Of
the people men who tremble hike an aspen-leaf
at the voice o. the grapgers as it comes ringing
around their ears; II is strange that such men
will rise IA their places here and oppose the
distribution to the people Of the reports Of the
different departments OF the Government, of
the acta 0. Congress- and the debates and pro-
ceedings OF the two Houses.
Why sir, do gentlemen think the people OF
this country are fools /! Do they think that
the grangers who speak to them with voice Of
thunder cannot tell what is bombast and bun
combe, and what looks to their true interests 2
Mr.. Speaker, the grangers formed their asso-
cation. and one OF the principal things which
they proclaimed to the world as the object OF
that association is the promotion Of intelligence
among themselves making the farmers intelli-
gent, IN order that they may be more efficient
and IN concert be better able to maintain their
rights. DO gentlemen believe they will ingra-
tate themselves with the farmers OF the coun-
try, a. the gentleman from Iowa (NIr. Kasson)
attempts to do, by refusing to give them this
intelligence! He classes himself among agr-
culturists because OF the sympathy he extends
to the Old postal mare that travels the prairies
OF Iowa overland with mail matter. tell gen.
tlemen here that the intelligent people OF the
United states are not to be misled by any pre-
tended sympathy with their interests; they
are not to be msled by men who think that
rolling IN clover is protecting agricultural In
terests; they are not to be misled by the show
OF hay-seed scattered on their flowing locks OF
dropped upon the bald heads OF members here.
The PEG lie OF the nited States are intelligent.
The people desire the dissemination OF the in
formation which the Government procures and
publishes and which they demand shall be dis
tributed among them.
know well that as far as my own district is
concerned. have not half enough agricultural
reports to meet the demands OF my constituents.
know that they are distributed among the
people Of my district that they are received by
them aud read not only by those to whom they