New-York tribune., 1874-02-21
MR.. GARFIELD AND THE PRESS.

II ia the opiniOn of Mr.. Garfield Of Ohio that
the hope of the country is in its 5000 weekly
newspapers, and that the present order of things
requiring them to pay postage threatens 10
carry them down. 1t is also his opinion, rs in
timated i'm his speech in the House on Thurs
day on the restoration Of the franking prvi-
lege, that the metropolitan newspapers are
dangerous to the country and do not repre-
sent public opinion. Says Mr.. Garfield, with
that singular accuracy Of statement which
characterzes all his efforts, "A man who
/" climbed to the fifth story of a metropolitan
newspaper Office at eleven o'clock at
"night and slashed off an editorial and
sent it off to the country, called that
"the public sentiment of the American peo-
"ple.n Over against this perfect portrait Of
the metropolitan journalist he sets this striking
picture of the able editor who is the best
"real exponent of public opinion ~ In cOun-
"try newspapers, the editoI quiet, sensible
"map, who in the course of a week saw men
" from every township in the county, and
chad his mind filed with the best thoughts
of his county, wrote notices and editorials
Gin the course of the week which gave more
"of the public sentiment of that county than
"all the metropolitan journals in the United
Estates could give of that county" The
relevancy of this line Of remark will
appear when We explain that by the
repeal of the law giving these weekly
newspapers free circulation through the
mails in the county of publication their exist
ence is said to be endangered, and the "no-
tees and editorials of the "Quiet and sem
I" "sibler editor "flled with the best thoughts
"of the county," are liable to be lost to the
world. On the other hand, the weekly news
papers Of New-York, he says, ego by mail
Unto districts in Iowa, 1,sOo miles of, and
Though they weigh three times as much as
"the simple country newspapers, pass through
"the mail at the same price,"
Mr.. Garfield thinks this is an injustice which
ought to be remedied, and that "the metro
"poltan papers ought to consent to it for
"their own good, knowing what public opinion
"is.n His remedy for this injustice, IL we un-
derstand him. is to restore to "the simple
"country newspapers the privilege Of free
distribution in the county. What he means
by metropolitan papers consenting to it for
their own good, knowing what public opinion
"is,n we do not know. We do not under
Stluu ~ 10 uoCcooaiy Luz tuo hctioPoheoh
papers to consent to it," or why it is for
:" their own good,n or that there is any "public
"opnion" about it except the ordinary senti-
ment of justice which teaches that when all
newspapers are treated alike, and each one,
whether metropolitan" or "simple country"
pays its own way without begging or sneaking,
there is no injustice. Every newspaper pays
postage now according to its weight there Is
no unfairness or injustice about it; if the
country weeklies think 1t is unfair that the
New York papers should 60 in the mails at the
same price with themselves, though weighing
"three times az much" the simplest remedy
for that is to increase their weight. The law
treats all alike. The country weekly may 90
at the same weight for tho same distance at
the same price the metropolitan; there ID no
discrimination against tho one Or IA favor OIL