The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-11-06
TIC HTENING THE CHAINS.
ABOLIS HING THE PEOPLES PARTY
LITERATCRE-STEP BY STEP DES-
POTISM ADVANCES

ABOLIS HING THE PEOPLES PARTY
LITERATURE-sTEP BY STEP DIES
POTIsM ADVANCES.
We find in the St. Paul Pioneer
Press of November 1st, the following:
See that" said John H. Patterson,
editor of the UNITED States Mail"
holding before the eyes of a Pioneer
Press reporter copy of that thrilling
geapce of the Boy Detective" The
reporter admitted that there was
nothing wrong With his visual organs,
and that he saw the book. "Well,"
continued Mr.. Patterson, there was
$4,000 tons Of that sort Of stuff went
through the mails last year as second
class matter, and it has got to be
stopped, not only on account of it's
pernicious influence on the youth of
the country, bat for the additional rea-
son that the expense Of hauling it for
a cent pound is what causes the de-
tcit in the postoffice from Que year to
another My business here is to see if
l cannot arouse the business men who
do great deal of business with the
postotfice and who have to pay heavy
rates OF postage in order that this
stuff may be hauled through the mails
for practically nothing at all" Mr..
Patterson is the publisher Of more
has long been interested in postal
matters, having the reputation of be-
ing one of the best posted men in the
business. He is securing letters from
the prominent business men in each
congressional district in the country,
with an idea of inStructing each con-
gresham through his constituents as
to what his duty is in the matter. It
is proposed to introduce in the next
Congress bill limiting the printed
matter now eligible to entry as
SecOnd-class matter to those publica-
tionS which are really periodicals.
This sort of stuff has cost the de-
partment great deal of money, and
there is still another class which it is
proposed to bar. The trade journals
that are gotten out for the purpose Of
advertising certain lines of business,
and, very frequently, certain houses.
When Mr.. Wanamaker was pos tmaS-
ter general he tried to do something
on this line, but was defeated by the
construction put on the law. II these
cheap and blOod-thirSty novels could
be taken out of the class in which
they are now entered and paid for at
third-class rates.. the revenues from
them would be enormous or their cir
culation would be destroyed-and this
latter is contamination to be wished
for quite as much as the other.
Plutocracy has control Of the daily
newspapers of this country, but not
content with that tremendous power
over the minds of men, it desires to
close up all other avenues by which
reform arguments can reach the
multitude. Ii you will take this arti-
Gle. which we have just quoted, and
strike out deaths Mark or the Ven
geance of a Boy Detective" and insert
Looking Backward" the "Seven
Financial Cons piracies, ""Cold Facts"
"CoiD's School," etc, ETC., etc, you
will get at the true inwardness Of this
movement.
1t has been the custom of publish
ers to es tablish a serial publication Of
books or pamphlets, one issued every
month. and send them out, under ex-
listing laws, at one cent pound, in
stead Of one cent for o., and thus
has come about this tremendous age
of mphleteering and discussion. for
the enlightenment Of the people
against the Vaccinations Of those
who would destroy the liberties of
mankind; and thus thousands of tons
of books have reached the public
which otherwise would never have
been heard of.
This government is based on the in
telligent study of all public que stions
by the voters; and the truth is, all
printed matter should go free
through the mails, as an Incident
Of popular education for the exercise
Of suffrage. But, instead Of this,
Plutocracy proposes to close the gates
of enlightenment so that a hireling
press may reign supreme.
We call upon all Populist papers to
rouse up the people to sense of this
new aggression and the impending
danger; and we ask that at all Alli-
ance or Peoples Party or other meet
ings, resolutions shall be adopted pro-
testing against this retrograde move
ment, and copies thereof sent to all
Congressman,
There is not particle of doubt