River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-02-07
Sit Down on Madden.

S6uLat1V6S can 90 no DGIISI WOIk
than to sit down on Third Asst
Postmaster-Genera E. C. Madden
in his effort to strangle 1859 news
papers in the United States by rails
ing the postal rates from l cent
pound to cents a pound, also do
ing away with free postage in the
county where published.
What the Father of His Country,
George Washington, said in his first
annual message to Congress on this
subject is right to the point. Here
it is:
"But here cannot forbear to rec
ommend repeal of the tax on the
transportation of public prints.
There is no resource SO firm for the
Government of the United States
as the affections of the people, guild
ed by an enlighted policy; and to
this primary good, nothing can con-
duce more than faithful represen-
tation of public proceedings, diffus-
ed without restraint throughout the
United States"
There is the same necessity for
the diffusion of knowledge now that
there was when the nation was born
Alexander Hamilton said:
"The road to tyranny will be
opened by sitting the press"
Mr.. Madden is like many other
men who have gone into the general
post-ofice large and soon grew
small. This is what he said in 1892:
"The legitimate press is consid-
cred somewhat in the light of the
public school system; nation gets
back in the enlightenment of the
people all, and much more, than it
bestows in the way of nominal
postal rate or gratuity towards the
expenses of distribution. In that
case it is a justifable expenditure
for the public and there should be
no complaint HON. EDWIN G.
MADDEN, in 1902.
The general post-ofice is one of
the worst places to contract man S
intellect in the whole service. Ev-
cry now and then Congress has to
jack up the department and make it
look over the stone wall, behind
which it tries to see the world.
The post-office department should
be somewhere near self supporting,
perhaps, but that is not necessary.
1t confers such immense benefits
upon the whole people in promoting
education that, like the public
school system, it should not be ask
ed to clear a direct cash profit.
There is injected into the body
polite each year." said President
Grant, "such vast amount of ig-
norance and superstition as to place
in doubt the perpetuity of our re-
publican institutions. The best
way to increase this ignorance and
superstition is to hamper the pub
lie press with 4 cent postage rate
and shut off county circulation.
Mr.. Madden is now possessed
with the idea of making profit for
the post-office department and TO do
this he desires to raise the rates.
Mr.. Madden is working at the
wrong end if he honestly feels that
the department must pay cash
profit. Do the War department, the
Navy department and all the other
departments pay cash profit? But
do we estimate the profit of the
Army and-Navy in dollars and cents?
Certainly not! There is a profit,
but it in the security to the lives and
the property of the people. There
is profit in the Agricultural de-
partment, but it is in the discovery
of new and more profitable ways of
farming that will bring cold cash
to those who avail themselves of
this knowledge, and in spreading
this knowledge the newspapers are
of great service. Do we get profit
out of the Department of Com
merce ana Labor? Undoubtedly,
but it is not represented in dollars
and cents turned back into the ma
tional treasury as a direct return
upon the investment. Jefferson
County Union.