Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-31
A Peril and a Defense.

Within the last few weeks the manufac-
turers have further advanced the cost of
white paper, and it is even asserted that
within short time the consumers will be
compelled to pay fully double the prices
that ruled year ago. In such a case the
only possible way in which newspaper pub
! fishers can save themselves from hopeless
bankruptcy will be to increase the price
of their publications, and this brings the
burden home to the entire community. The
congressional committee on ways and means
has been listening to arguments for and
against the pending bill to reduce the duty
on paper stock but as the paper makers
have been energetically aided in their efforts
to strangle the bill by two congressman,
themselves oUners Of paper mills, it is possible
that nothing will be accomplished at the
present session to avert the impending Ca
lamty-especially as these two interested
congressman are reported to have declared
their purpose to resort to every possible
legislative trick and device in order TO de-
feat the bill
In presenting the memorial of the Chicago
publishers for repeal of the twenty per
cent duty on paper stock, last week, Senator
Davis of Illinois made an eloquent protest
against this fragrant attempt to lay an en-
barge upon the general intelligence of the
people. lie said the proposition of the me
morialists seemed so plain and just that no
argument was needed in its behalf. What
was true of Chicago applied to the press of
the United States, and especially to that por-
ton of it familiarly known as the country
papers, The great metropolitan journals
could take care of themselves under almost
any condition of things, but that furnished
no good reason why they should be subjected
to imposition or to wrong The main bur-
den of the duty fell heaviest on those papers
published in the interior, dependent on local
circulation, and unable to compete with
those OF large cities. After all, it was
struggling labor that had to carry the load
OF taxation, in whatever form it might be
Imposed. The press was one of the wonders
attending the growth of our institutions. In
the history of the human race there was
nothing comparable to this development. 1t
was not only the bulwark of liberty, but the
mighty popular instructor, more benefcent
and wide-reachiug than any other agency but
the Christian religion, of which it was one of
the main props. Complaint was made that
this power was sometimes abused, and that
men in public life were too often consciously
criticised. 1t would be sad day for the
republic when the criticisms upon the acts
and speech OF senators and representatives
should be curbed, and still sadder day
when these acts and that speech could not
invite the sternest criticism, What food
was TO the body, the press was to the mind.
1t had become daily necessity and nour.
ishment from the home of the rich to the
cabin of the pioneer on the plains, whose
brain aud muscle were integral parts of the
empire in the west To make the press
wholly independent, and to widen its inhu-
ence every restriction of unwise or unjust
laws ought to be removed. The obnoxious
duty on quinine was swept away a few
months ago, which duty had long been
maintained for the profit of few manufac-
turers in single city. That remedy was at
best but local application. In this instance
the newspapers of the entire country were
+ oppressed by taxes, which were a delusion
and snare, They brought nothing of i'm
portance into the treasury, and only stood,
as the duty on quinine did, as an excuse for
/ increasing the dividends OF what might be
described as close corporation of special
interests.