The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-05-06
FREE CIRCULATION

Viding for the free exchanges o
newspapers between publishers, an,
for the Tree transmission Of newspa
pers by mail within the county wher
published. The bill provides tina
from and after the passage Of thi
act, the following mail matter shall
be allowed to pass free in the azaA
First, newspapers, periodicals., anC
magazines, reciprocally interchangeC
between publishers and not exceed
ing sixteen ounces in weight, to b,
confined TO single copy of cacl
Epubl cation; secondly, newspapers
one copy to each actual subscribe
residing or receiving the same with
in the county where published bu
carriers shall not be required to dis
tribute such papers unless postage
is paid upon them at the usual rates
The Senate has not yet, that We
have noticed, taken it up and per
haps may not do 50, or II so, may
defeat it, as strong influence is
brought to bear against it.
For years back, before the abolish.
ment OF the franking privilege, the
postal laws permitted a free circula.
ton OF papers to subscribers within
the county where published. When
the great hullabaloo was raised about
the abuse of the franking privilege,
and the cry for its abolition was
started, backed by the specious argu-
ments of the p. M. G., members
were in effect compelled to yield
against their own convictions, and
in order to make the act odieus they
did more than they were asked to
do-they cut off this boon which had
long existed, and which was of
special Importance to the thousands
of so-called country or local papers.
They made a clean sweep-even
cutting off the privilege of free ex-
changes between different papers.
This was done through the influence
of the city or metropolitan press,
whose interests are opposed to those
of the local or country papers, and
to whose benefit the total abolition
Of free newspaper postage manifest
ly innures. Restricting the free cir
culation of the poorly supported
local papers, tends to the direct adj
vantage of the city papers. City
papers having generally superior
facilities for obtaining large circula-
tons can be afforded at a trifiing
less price than the slimly supported
local papers-especially is this the
case with the weekly" papers made
mp from dailies, on which there is no
expense but paper and press work.
Hence if they can succeed In com
pelling the collection Of postage on
The local papers, whose circulation
S usually confined to the county |
where published, they in effect in
crease by SO much the price of such
papers, and aid in circulating their
OWN to people who cannot realize
he advantage of keeping their mon
y at home, of patronizing home pa
'ers (Which are ever ready to say a
rood word for all local interestsl and
Who will rather patronize strangers
Who not only do not care for their
ocal interests, but are inimical there
0 in every way.
The members Of the House of Re.
resentatiYes have become so con-
inced of the unfairness of this re-
friction and of its unpopularity with
ne people at home, that they have
nus passed, by most decided ma
'rity, bill to restore the free cir
llation of local papers within the
ounties where published. But now
sEore this can become law by pass
g the Senate, the city papers are
Using a hue and cry, and the Post
aster General, who clings tenaci- !
lsly to his various-pet projects, has /,
ms before the committee to protest
yainst it. Neither the P. M. G. {
'r the city press care one straw for '
le thousands Of country papers
hey are leagued together to starve :
EN- out. The local press all over
e land should unite as a unit in S
is matter so vitality important to t
emselves. s
What sense is there In exacting :
much postage on paper Cor one $
lie, or even for its being delivered l
rough post-office in the very town p
lere it is published, as for convey /"
: another paper a thousand miles q? .,
e do not favor a uniform rate of II
stage on either letters or papers a
CARELESS of distances. 1t may u
nplify accounts, but it is a very :,
unbusiness-like and II
Ipid arrangement. Laws should W
made for the greatest good of tt
. greatest number" not for the g
vantage of few. ~
y The Chronicle says that Sena- =, :,
BrOwnlow has sent strong let W,
to the President, urging the APP fu
ntment of Hon. Horace Maynard OF
the position in the Court of Claims I'll