The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-03-22
AN OUTRAGEOUS ATTEMPT TO
PASS A GAG LAW.

Lancaster county, introduced into the Legis-
lature of this State an act to Regulate the
legal and official Advertising of Carbon Coun-
ty." That was not the first we had heard
Of the proposed law for such an intention
had been advertised here two or more months
ngo. We patiently awaited until we could
see the whole inwardness Of the thing.
knowing from whence II emanated, before
assuming to make mention Of It. Thinking
that perhaps the bill might have some merit
something to thoughfully commend 1t to
the peoplc,-as for instance, proposition to
compel return Of past extortionate charges,
when Lynn and Boyle were charging the
county $3.50 per square for advertising, we
expected to zee it introduced by Messrs.
Zern or Cassidy but not SO. These gentle
men had the good sense not to dirty their
hands with such an article, and reprcsen-
tative Of a county away outside Of the Con-
gressional district oven is selected as the
bearer Of the sacred and sweet scented doc
ument to the halls Of Legislation. 1t was
submitted to the committee on printing, and
on the 18th inst, Mr.. Kirk, of that COM
nittee, returned it with "negative recon.
mendation," which of course, kills it. But
that our people may see what an outrage
was intended to be perpctrated upon them,
we give the bill intact. And this is il
An Act to regulate the publication Of legal
and official advertisements in Carbon
Count,
eEcrIoS /. Be il enacted By TIC Senate and
House Of Representatives Of the Common
teeaNh Of PlHaSylrdnid, in General As
Sembiy met, and Il is hereby enacted by the
authority Of the same: That all legal pub
locations and official notices and advertise
ments, rs sherih's sales, county, borough,
township, and poor district statements OF
accounts, and all other legal advertise
ments and publications whatsoever, re-
quired by law to be published in the coun
ty Of Carbon, shall, from and alter the
passage Of this act, be printed and pub
lished in each Of the two newspapers pub.
lished in the borough Of Mauch Chunk,
county aforesaid, having the largest circu-
lation among bona fide annual su bscribers;
PROVIDED such newspapers shall have been
published weekly within said borough for
term Of at least two years next preccd-
ing the date of the printing and publica-
tion of such sales, notices, statements, ct
cetera And prorided further, That the
charge for such advertising and publish
ing shall be at a rate not exceeding two
dollars per inch for four insertions.
Thus, the above IS the dark scheme. The
dead act would have given the legal and of
fetal advertising to Boyle and Lynn, the
originators and fathers Of the scheme. 1t is
"heads win, tails you lose arrangement"
The act names the two papers published in
Mauch Chunk having the largest bona yJfae
circulation but that means nothing. If
the Carbon County Democrats circulation
had numbered thousands, and reached every
reader in the county, and the other two
had circulated only 100 or 200 papers each,
they would alone have been eligible, being
the only two papers published in that Dor
ough for the period of two years. If they
had ceased to be published, there would have
been no legal provision for printing the ad-
vertising at all. The CARBON ADVOCATE, is
ruled out by every provision Of the act 1t
is published outside the borough of Mauch
Chunk and therefore a heather.
II Joe Lynn's recent foreman is to be
believed under oath, Lynn prints weekly
from $50 to 400 papers less than any othel
journal published in the county-S2 quires
or 76s copies-not more than one-half o
which are circulated in the county, ant
Boyle, il is said, circulates in Carbon Coun
ty fewer copies of his organ weekly thar
even Lynn. If this is true, the CARBON AD
vocLTE has a larger list Of subscribers il
Carbon County than both Of them combined
Yet its ostraczation is sought by an act to b
pushed through an intelligent Republican
Legislature an act which is intended
keep above water the two old broken wind
ed organs of Mauch Chunk with which tn
people have grown tired and care no longer t
patronize and sustain. Far more consistan II
would It have been, if these two beggars 70
public patronage, had petitioned the Legis
lature for a subsidiary fund.- or pension, i
order TO keep music in their old organ
This would have at least ELECTED some sym
pathy. 1t is sufficient to say that thi
Lynn. Boyle law is dead-died in EN-
bryo, like nearly all the brilliant concer
tions of their combined geniuses-but Il
not forgotten
What do the people think Of this in
tended legislative Outrage? 1t would hav
put gag law upon all our county, boroug
and township officials aud directors of tn
:, poor. It assumes that the prolhonotarN
4 sheriff, recorder, commissioners, appraise
borough councils, township supervisors on
poor directors, are men too dishonest or to
ignorant to decide in what medium the END
Of advertising their statements, etc, woul
be best subservcd.
What would the boroughs of Weisspol
and Lehighton and the townships of Frank
lin aud Penn Forest think Of being compel
ed by law to carry their annual statement
To Maueh Chunk, and advertise them
81 per inch in two papers, only a doze
or two copies Of which would reach the
citiEens2 Aud yet this is what the infsmor
act eontemplates, and even more than tina
For while the County printing has this yea
been reduced 10 $3.50 per square, this a,
proposes raising it to 50; and yet Lyu
and Boyle are preaching economy.
Now, men who, for selfish ends, engage
such infamous intrigue as this may imagr
they are brilliantj but they art much mi
takeui they are only cutting their ow
throats among honest men, and their sill
soon find then out. Above all things, exec
the Venomous serpent that erawls upon Il
earth, people 10th aud despise the publ
character who tries to impose upon them
sharp.practice aud double dealing. A POI
Lieian who attempts to shackle a eommuni
with such legislation as the act above dc
cribcs, and especially people upon who
generous PsirpRsgO be is indebted for /
daily bread, would not hesitate To help
forge 4 shaia to snSlaye a nation, if he 81
. pSOspOot Of bsaomiRg one Of its maste
And yet this "a only one Of a catalogue