The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-03
Getting Even with the News.
DaDerS.

From the Springfield [Mass.) Republican
The newspapers of the country have
had the misfortune to displease a number
of distinguished gentlemen at Washington.
In some cases the grievances are person
al; in others, they are of a public and
partisan character One of the weigh
test of them is the part played by the
press in the compulsory abolition Of that
cherished freaking privilege which it is
now sought to restore in season for the
fall elections.
These disgruntled gentlemen would
seem to be lying awake nights, thinking
up schemes for getting evan. The lea d.
ers of the Senate in particular would seem
TO have thrown themselves into the repri-
sal business with quite unwonted ener-
gy and enthusiasm. Last week, it was
a bill to compel all the principal news
papers Of the Union to try their libel
suits at Washington. This wee X, it is an
amendment to an appropriation bill
which, if enacted into law, Till practical
IL eXtort from every American news
paper, big or little, around fine for the
ofleuse of printing the news and talking
about It's "betters.'
The first of these performances is suffi-
ciently outrageous; the nature and po-
tency of the influences which surround
the Washington Judge and juror are pref
ty well known. At the same time, there
is Just enough color Of logic about 1t to
recommend it to the narrower variety OF
that curious product Of modern cIvlllza-
ton, the legal mind But this second
i not only outrageous, but
absolutely without the slightest color of
logic, Justice or common sense. 1t Is as
absurd as it is malicious.
Look at it for a moment. The present
rates of newspaper postage are 81 ~
wear for dailies and twenty cents tor
weeklies, payable quarterly by the SUBJ
scriber. But q good many papers are
not taken out of the office, and IN this
wav the Government sustaIns loss.
Hence the Postmaster General PROPOSE
tion 10 make the rate a cent and halfp
mound to be prepaid by the publisher.
This propCsition he's been approved by
the Postal Committee Of the House and
the House itself. 1t reduces the present /
rate one half, but the Government is the A.!
gamer in that the prepayment secures 1t |
AGAINST the loss of its dues. Now steps
forward Senator Sherman with propo- |
sition for a nominal rate OF four cents
ner mound and a real rate of one cent
ner copy. This would make the annual
hostage on dailics little over three dol
lars and on weeklies tifty-two cents two
and half times what it is now. And |
this postage is to be prepaid by the pub
Usher. That is to say, Senator Sherman;
against the advice of the department and |
t6e example of the House, proposes to |
muIct the newspapers of this country IN
a yearly 6ne Of 2,590,g0e, or thereabonts'
for The undue freedoms they have taken
with the names and characters OF their
rulers. lift becomes a law, 'telegraphs
the correspondent of the Boston Adver-
tiser. it viii extinguish many OF the I9l-
nor newspapers which have any clrcui.ai1
ton outside Of their counties, end VIII
cost all larger journals handsome
fortune every year.
We have no apprehension that TINS a9-
surd and outrageous measures oil retan-
alton will ever become law. But the AMI
mus oft is worth noting and remember
ing. We believe it will be noted and re-
nembered. We expect that Mr.. John
sherman, Of Ohio, has nearly cut his
?wn throat