The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-04-13
WASHINGTON LETTER
ABorT TEE PAPER PULP MONOPOLY.
Rzm sw Rsealar couespondeut9


WASHINGTON, D. C., April s. 1850.
The most interesting question before Congress
a. The present time is that Of the tariff On the
nav material from which the education Of this
great people is derived, and on The medium
through which large proportion Of the business
of the country is conducted. Dear paper makes
dear newspapers, bear books, dear writing mate
RAJ. dear envelopes 1t hAndicaps the intellec-
fuAI. commercial, and social life Of the most &C
live and progressive people in the world. That
legislators should favor this monopoly or hesitate
fOr q moment 70 strike il down Is too monstTous
10 believe il is a crime against the child at
school. against the laborer by his evening lamp,
2gaiusi the age. and against prosperity, that the
Intelligence IL The future, upon which our pcilt-
real welfare 80 largely depends, shall be restricted
and diminished that few coarse men may grow
rlch- II is important that bread shall be cheap.
for without II the body will die. 1t is supremely
important that intelligence shall be cheap, for it
= the food OF the mind. When one man Is en-
Iloyed 10 making paper or wood pulp hundred
are employed in the art of printing. 1t may be
sad that just as many will find employment on
newspapers. fer example, when paper Is dear as
allen II = cheap. This Is not true The news
fiaf-r cannot safely reduce its size But the ne
oazsiir FOR reiTenchment must be met and will
fall IL once on the labOrer the publisher employs
-.Doe Il can fall nowhere else. By employing
anger type and reducing the composition bills in
-i.e Esys- publishers so easily understand they
an iop Of the wages Of compOsitors to make up
- tie increased cost Of white paper. They will
ai-o reduce the paw Of numbers OF reporters and
,ofrespondenis, and thus diminish the payroll
1Liie The qualify Of the news and comment fur
fi.ied viii be deieriorated. The business of
Iriuiing Is Of such vastly greater importance
nan hat Of making paper, that 1t is simply
tnons;rous 10 tax the greater industry to enrich
frE wealthy manufacturers. The intelligence
81. -ile American people comes one hundred-fold
81 = ron the general reading of newspapers by
--e le0ple than from their common schools.
t. nzrEelously cheap form in which the best
-le -.sndard English literature is now fur
LID ! another powerful educator, and one
re e-sects u which will be felt by future gener-
-'l0-s Tie cost Of paper Is most important
.fe.1eli IL tins machinery for the spread Of
--oEledge-s machinery that has far outstripped
lie dreams q the the Girards and Smithsons,
z-.s lave sought 10 benefit their fellow men by
.a1ozing Institutions 10 serve the same end
A. Fl tie TOodpulp millionaires, who prosti-
-1te their seats in Congress TO maintain their
11eToly their course is just as corrupt as if they
80 fbe.r votes As long as public opinion will
Unit this sor Of thing we may expect a carni-
al = rsseality in public life. To make orations
,.b91i q efficiency IN the Star service, and be ST.
1T about the fragrant immortality of members
Fgt-ng money directly into their own banks or
nilis vii not Justify any talk in the House of
representatives, about Reform.