The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-06
BORROWING A NEWSPAPER.

- NCAJ SNSSNAAS~N ANS-N
ing at Boise City, Idaho, few weeks
since sent US an article on "Science"
(for which we hope to soon have space
and we, carelessly glancing at his ad-
dress, mistook it for Baker City. Re
fsrring to our list we failed to find the
name given, and in ANSWERS to Core
spondents" we notified him that 6ogro10-
ing a newspaper was "unscientific.n
This notification he answers as follows:
In your issue OF September 18th you say "bor-
rowing newspaper is unseientific." I ask, is
it not charitable TO lend them am a sub
scriber and wish to know if we are not per-
mitted to do so, as esteem it a privilege. If
you decide we are not, 1, for one, will appeal
to Mrs. Duniway, with whom I made the con-
tract in person. dc not desire TO lend my pa
per for any special benefit to myself, but rec
Ognize the work as one of great importance
and the NEW NORTHWEST as lamp, the light
of which should not be hid, but difused
throughout the entire world. If the shackles
of slavery are to be stricken from one-half the
human race, we all have work to do. Those
of us who are not gifted with eloquence must
assist this glorious cause with our purses.
We beg to assure our good friend that
we have not heard a declaration that
did our soul so much good for many
day as does the one contained in the
concluding clause of his letter. Indeed,
it is as complete and convincing an ar
gument against lending a newspaper to
those who are able to pay for it as we
could ourself have advanced. This pa
per is alone on the entire Pacific slope of
our Continent in its advocacy of equal
rights. 1t is kept alive by the energy
of a woman-who, we were about
to say, tolls as never man toiled-and as
valuable auxiliary to the progress, if
not vital necessity to the present life
of the "woman movement" in the great
Northwest, it is indispensable. Lend
ing or giving to those who are able to
supply their own wants is not charity,
and in most cases lending a newspaper
is a nuisance to the lender, an encour-
agement to laziness in the borrower,
and fraud on the publisher.
Our friend says truly that 1--WE have
all a work to do" Why then seek to
press the burden upon few? owe
must assist with our purses" To this
end we suggest that he induce as many
persons as possible to aid the cause by
becoming bona tide subscribers to the
paper and encourage none to be content
to continue thriftless borrowers; or, if
perchance he should find some one so
impecunious as not to have the neces-
sary three dollars to insure the honest
visits of the NEW NORTHWEST to his
home once a week for one year, then is
such person a real object of pity, and if
in good health, should be put to work at
once; if totally unable to work, his ne
cessities, including a good progressive
newspaper, should be provided for by a
pitying commonwealth.
Recognizing the fact that our jurisdic-
ton over each copy of the paper ceases
when it is mailed to a subscriber, we
can of course have but one answer to
the question as to whether we "permit
subscribers to lend it."
As an appeal to our honored chief is
mentioned, we drew from the topmost
shelf of the sanctum library ponderous
volume, and turning to Vol. 4, No. 3, OF
the NEW NORTHWEST, unearthed her
sentiments upon the subject, and they
are expressed in this wise: "Subscribers
who take the New NORTHWEST and
pay for it-and they are not a few-are
requested to mark this paragraph fol
the benefit of those who habitually read
the paper at our expense. We are glad
whenever any poor man or poorer ]om-
an who cannot take the paper because
of chronic impecuniosity gets opportu-
nifty to- read it gratis. But we know Of
many regular borrowers who are per-
fectly able to get the paper honestly
who never pay a cent for it, and yet
never do without it. Let every Dor.
rover who reads these lines, and who
could subscribe if not too parsimonious
remember that they are sponging thei
intellectual food from the very bone anC
sinew of the financial life upon which
they prey. If every man and woman
who confesses that they get the pape
by borrowing were able to see them
selves as aOe see them, they'd skulk of
at once after three dollars and 8u68cri6
and thus get the paper honestly for tn
current year."
There, good friend, you have Mrs
+ Duniway's opinion of borrowers, and ou
, own as well, and we charge nothing 70
. it, except to ask that you habituall,
lend your paper only to those who ar
totally unable to take it and pay for i
themselves.
e STUMBLING TOWARD THE LIGHT