National Republican., 1883-02-07

Of the United States Postal Guide for 1888 is
the prospectus of the New York Tribune. The
head lines are as follows;
NEW YORK TRIBUNE
FOR 1883.
TO THE POsTMAsTERS OF THE UNITED
STATES.
CASH PREMIUMS AND OTHER CoNsIDERA-
TIoNs.
Then follows the grand list Of inducements,
prefaced rs follows EVERY POSTMASTER in
the United States is invited to become an
agent of THE TRIBUNE. The paper is ono
that can be conscentiously recommended to
any reader and the postolico is the natural
center of the town for the formation of clubs
Of subscribers"
No fault is found with this by THE Ma
TIoNAL REPUBLICAN. There can be no harm
in the solicitation by postmastcrs of subscrib-
crs for newspaper, always provided that
the official duties of the postmaster do not
suffer neglect thereby. Especially is there no
harm in the case of very great newspaper,
the conductor of which feels that it can be
by him consciontiously recommended to any
reader" If Mr.. Rcid's conscience had COM
PEELED him to recommend tho Tribune to only
n certain class Of readers, because of matters
which could not be confded to the common
him TO convert the postmasters of the country
into tho hired men of the Tribune. Or
if he had been himself man of sin, recklessly
recommending his paper TO all, without doing
so "conscicntiously," good men would have
been justified in crying out against his appro-
priation of the government machinery as n
convenience in the sale of Ills wares. But
newspaper which Whitelaw Reids conscience
allows him TO proclaim as a good thing for
people of every age and condition in life can
not and must not be checked in its effort to
spread itself among mankind at the low
rates with cash premiums and other
considerations to postmasters acting as
agents which are set forth in this
noIdc prospectus. Says Henry Taine, dis
coursing of Mr.. Pecksniif as tho model
of modern professional English philanthropy,
He will talk to you like prospectus" In
the charming production before us Mr.. Reid
has realized at once Mr.. Taine's ideas, both Of
a prospectus and of a professional philanthro-
pist. A few quotations will illustrate: "The
Daily Tribune is a bright, strong, able paper"
free from whatever would be
morally obnoxious or hurtful to any human
mind. The paper was never so GOOD as
now" "Every family is the better
for having tn, Tribune in it, and many sue
Cessful man traces his rise in life to the sug-
gcstions and information contained in its col
umns." In Offering books as premiums it is
remarked: "People say we are doing good
work by bringing great standard publications
within the reach of people of moderate
means" This is on the same limo with p. Il.
Barnum's declaration that his shows pre-
vented brain diseases by furnishing recrea-
tion. And then there are the dazzling rates
for agents, enough to make II postmaster look
upon Mr.. Reid as even more generous en-
ploycr than his Uncle Sam.
On several occasions recently, when Mr..
Reid was absent, tho New York Tribune has
taken exceptions to the connection Of the
| first assistant postmaster general with The
| NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, as also to the desire
expressed by some of The REPUBLICANS
outside friends to postmasters that these
should cndeavor to aid its circulation. 1t is
evident from tho quotations above made
from tho TriJuae'S prospectus that
its snarls in this direction were not only
not Mr.. Rcid's, but that tho person
| spcctus wherein tho Tribune takes the whole
/ postal service by violence, and puts every
postmaster he can to work as u paid runner
| for his truly moral newspaper, The 1riJme'S
use of the postmasters may not be in strict
harmony with the reform principles it lays
down for others, but as "the paper was
suro that its conductor is true to re-
form, whether he practices or violates it.
His heart is right. Some day when THE
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN becomes good like
the Tribune it, too, may venture II moral pro-
spectus, and erect every postoilice in the land
into n publication office on account of such
establishment being, as our Brother Reid re-
marks, "The natural center of tho town for
the formation of clubs of subscribers" Then
We shall, in common with Mr.. Reid, enjoy
that delicious sensation experienced by Mr.
Pccksnif' when, having set that delicate or.
ganism known as the digestive apparatus
"going" by the eating of an egg, he felt that
he was "a bcnGfactor to mankind"
The Civil Service Commission.
Whoever is civil service refomcr honest
and of good report, with no clique to serve