The independent., 1903-07-02
Madden Educational Subscriptions
d Reote,o Of The Wora; Being Done.

reaulnS tnat we must print lew GA
cerpts, omitting the purely formal
parts.
They are interesting because they
show the Independent spirit Of the
single taxers--the spirit that does not
crfnge before czar like Madden, but
treats him simply as an American
citizen engaged in performing work
for wages, as any other laborer might,
and with no right 10 do other than
the work he is hired To do.
... I. as contributor to that is
sue. desire to make statement re-
garding my interest" In Tiny "in-
terest" probably being similar to those
Of the other contributors.
I remitted the sum of $4.O5 for 4Ob
copies. of which 85 copies were or
dered sent to persons Of more or less
prominence whom | knew to be in
terested in the philosophy OF Henry
! George -the single tax question, many
Of whom would probably be induced
to subscribe for the paper which gave
promise Of becoming more than ever
ar open forum for economic discus
sion. Of the remaining number. 10
copies were ordered for myself, 100
for VIM A. Gray, Central Phosphate
Co., rs for VIM. S. Skelly, Phosphate
contractor and 20 for D. A. Trice,
farmer. Rural Route No. L." all OF
| whom are active Henry George pro-
| pagandists and regular subscribers to
The Independent, for local distribution
or for redistribution through the
mails at cent each or at the rate oi
cent for each 4 ounces All four or
us subscribed for the papers with our
own money We had no peeHniary IN
terest in the paper or in any adver-
tisement in tour interest" being
wholly concerned with the ecopomic
discussion anticipated
| A very large number Of think
ing voters are coming, rightly or
wrongly to regard the postal censor
| ship of the last few years as rabid par
| tisanship--as prostitution on the part
| OF the plblic'a servants for pluto
cratic ends. If the postal department
| is not self-sustaining, why does 1t not
| compel the railroads to carry its
| printed matter at the same rate as
| they charge the express companies for
| the same service? That the public is
Disseminated against in this rartic-
ular is no secret. Then the depart
nent could show handsome surplus.
! Or, if it considers that only selected
printed matter should have the benefit
of the second-class rates, why does it
discriminate in favor Of such low
grade mental pabulum as the average
monthly advertising sheet, like the
Homeside Magazine, ETC., whose only
| excuse for existence Is to advertise
| comparatively worthless novelties
permitting them to load down the
mails with thousands of tons of mat
| ter which is practically worthless to
the subscriber-while drawing the
line at every paper which tries to
make the people think on the larger
questions of the day?
Why not make postal rates high
enough to cover the cost of service
and let all printed matter-good, bad
and indifferent-go through at the
same rate? Then there would be no
need of 1Russianizedd" censorship
Which were better for public NOR
els (not plutocratic interests), for sub
scribers who recognize merit in pa
per to call the attention of others
to its excellence by sending them cop
les through the mails and thus in
creasing it's circulation, or for tha
paper to expand its circulation by the
doubtful gambling device of guess
| ing contest?
1t is not proper function of govern
n,ent to say what the people shall
read. America is not yet ready for a
| Tcrquemada. The federal govern
ment is getting too paternal. 1t Is
getting to feel too much like STEP
] father 10 most of us. Every unjust
whether consciously or not) ruling OF
the postal department but hastens the
downfall of the party which Is re-
sponsib,e for it-or the downfall OF
| the republic. But ''smug" plutocracy
can say, with the French aristocracy
"After lis the deluge." The country
sadly needs Jefferson or a Jackson
| to pry apart the parasitic classes from
their privileges and reafirm the in