Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-11
Reporters' License.

President Cleveland was brilliant but
brazen piece of journalistic enterprise,
which got the President into some trouble
by disclosing too much truth-a rare OF
fence in sensational journalism. The lIortd
recently sent the same reporter who follow
ed Mr.. Cleveland to his Adirondack retreat,
in pursuit of Mr.. Blaine at his home in
Augusta, to get that gentleman's private
opinion upon two bJects-primarily, the
death of Mr. Hendricks and the political
questions involved in that event, and sec
Dndarily-though first in lmportance-to
discover whether Mr.. Blaine had any pro-
iects in view for securing a denomination
for the Presidency in 1888. Few papers in
the United States would have had
enough cheek to attempt project of
this sort. 1t amounted to nothing less
than sending a spy into an eneny's camp,
with instructions to report at headquar
tiers and politely request glance at the
maps and sealed orders of the COM
mander-n-chief.
But Mr. Blaine was little too sharp
for the special emssary of the WOrld. He
refused to be interviewed, and gave in
structions to his family not to admit the
individual who made such repeated calls
World correspondent, baflled in his en-
deavors to buttonhole his victim, tele-
graphed quarter of column of fiction
to his paper, accusing Mr.. Blaine of hid
ing from him, and giving directions to
his family to say that he was out of town
when he was really within earshot of the
reporters voice. This story is known to
be false, as Mr.. Blaine had after the ar
rival of the World reporter, actually left
town on a matter of business-with Sena-
tor Hale of Ellsworth. On his return he
saw the account of the reporters adven-
lures in the ITOrld and sent an indignant
telegram to Mr.. Pulitzer, demanding an
explanation of the reporters connection
with that journal, and Mr.. Blaine's
friends will probably demand Il retraction
of the falsehoods published by the World.
The license which the modern news
paper interviewer" is coming to assume
ought to be checked. A small nucleus
of fact serves him for altogether too large
a ball of yarn" Newspaper enterprise
is good thing, within bounds, but ficti-
tious facts" are worse than none.
The Post-Ohicc Department..
The report of the third assistant post
master-general for the fiscal year ending
June 3d. 1855, recently published in our
columns, is of more than usual interest
from the fact that it represents largely
the results of a trial of the more impor-
tant of the recent reforms introduced into
the postal system. The reduction of let
ter postage from three to two cents has
been in operation for a little over Il year,
and the change of the unit of weight on
second-class matter from two to four
ounces for the same period.
As was to be expected, the to-
tai postal revenue for the fis-
cal year ending June 30, shows
falling off as compared with the report
of the preceding year-though not as seri-
Gus as might have been expected, being
less than two per cent The expenditures
of the department for the year have eX-
ceeded its revenues by about IS 1881 81.
AS this sum is less than was allowed for
by the department when the reduction of
letter postage went into effect, it is to be
taken rather as a favorable than an I'M
favorable showing. Beyond doubt, the
figures for the next fiscal year will show Il
far closer approximation of expenditures
to receipts.
But there is another cause for the falling
off of the revenues of the postof1ice
department during the last fiscal
year. 1t was Il period of
remarkable depression in business, espec-
ally during the latter half of the year.
Taking this into account with the reduc-
ton of postage, and it is remarkable that
the falling off of postal receipts was not
greater.
Althoughthe change of the unit in
weight in letter postage from one-half
ounce to one ounce, and the new special
delivery system, are changes which have
been too recently made to enter properly
into this report, it is encouraging to note
the general success of both, as il feature of
the outlook for the ensuing year. The
special delivery system, with the modifi-
cations which will probably be introduced
in time, seems likely to survive
and become popular in spite of
the opposition which it has met, in some
quarters. The system is likely to be
modified 50 as to include only letter car
rier offices, the procurement of special
messengers in towns of small population
having been proved to be impracticable.
The change in the unit of weight of letter
postage naturally does not involve SO
much additional expense to tile depart
ment as to be particularly burdensome
Next to the reduction of letter postage
from three to two cents, it is the most
popular of our recent postal changes.
The report states that the outlook of the
department for the ensuing year is favor
able, with the return of business prosper
ity and with the more firm establishment
of the Improvements which have been in
troduced it is natural to expect that theil
expense to the department will be less
than it is
The efficiency and value of the United
States Life Saving Service can not be
questioned. 1t seems to be free from the
aSnprsinnS Nuhich are comet innnS cnSt In