National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-02
A WAR ON OUR CARRIERS.
An Attempt to Break Down Our New sys-
tenn OF Delivery.

| The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, Yesterday
tnaugursted revolution for the benefit of its SUBJ
scTbers and to protect its interests, and this
| revolution was attended, like such movements
generally are, with some feeling and with actual
violence. The rapidly increasing circulation OF
| THE REPUBLICAN has rendered Ii necessary TO i'm
prove and reorganize the carrier system SO as to
insure the prompt delivery OF the paper to city
subscribers. 1t was found necessary to largely in
crease the number of carriers and also to increase
| the number of route agents, who have
| charge of the circulation and supervise the
carrier boys in certain districts Notice was given
to all parties interested that the. change would go
into effect ON the 1st day of Aoril Some of the
old route agents. regarding this innovation as an
invasion of their rights declined to go into the
new arrangement, and their places filed with
| new men. The eX-route-agents also, it appears,
influenced the carrier boys in their employ, who
were familiar with the various routes, to refuse to
| render any service under the new arrangement
So yesterday morning the city edition of THE Ma
TIoSAL REPUBLICAN was intrusted tothe hands OF an
almost entirely new set of route agents and cari-
ers for delivery the subscribers Every subscriber
would have received his REPUBLICAN yesterday
morning probably earlier than heretofore had it
not been for the ruffianly means employed in
certain sections to defeat the accomplishment of
the plans of the publishers. 1t was rumored the
of the boys that were employed to take the places
of the old carriers threatened with bodily in
jury if they attempted to deliver the papers in
trusted TO them. Consequently many Of the boys
started upon their mission yesterday morn
ing with much trepidation; and in some cases,
for the purpose of protection, the boys were
doubled and made their journeys in pairs. Many
of the boys were haraSsed on their way, especial
trouble being met with in delivering the papers
Of the carrier. boys was waylaid on North Capitol
street, near /, by mob of young rlfians who as
saulted him, stole his papers, and tore them into
strips Other boys returned TO the Office with
similar tales, though in no case did the
violence perpetrated equal the outrage on
North Capitol street. In some localities the
method adopted by these obstructionists was
TO follow the carriers and steal the papers from the
doorsteps of the houses as fast US delivered and
destroy them The carriers route could be traced by
the fragments of paper strewn along the sidewalks
For the reasons given above many of THE REPUB-
LIcASs subscribers were deprived of their papers
yesterday morning. Later in the day the hood
lumS who were engaged in this business of theft
and violence amused themselves by standing On
the street corners and insolently yelling at sub
scribers who had been the victims of their
serious ApTil-foOl hoax, " You didn't get your
paper this morning, did you?' or some other
words of similar purport. The publishers
Of THE REPUBLICAN, took measures yesterday
to secure police protection for its carriers. The
REPUBLICAN offers a reward of Saj for the arrest
and conviction OF the party Or parties who insti
gated the assault on the boy North Capitol
street and the malicious destruction of papers in
various parts of the CITY, An additional reward of
SO is offered for the arrest and conviction of the
parties who were engaged in the assault men-
toned. Such instances as those mentioned above
are among the petty temporary annoyances met
with in publishing live newspaper, but will not
hinder the rapid progress made by THE REPUBLI-
CAN in point of circulation and in public esti1na-
ton. Owing to the change in the delivery system
the list Of subscribers in the possession OF THE
REPUBLICAN, is somewhat imperfect. Subscribers
who in the next few days fail TO receive their
papers will confera favor by notifying the publish
eTs OF the fact