Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-02-07
FORTY TINES
PRESENT RATE
Third Asst. Postmaster General
Makes Recommendation Which
Looks Suspicious.

The Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives can do no better work than
to sit down on Third Asst. Post
master-General f. C. Madden in his
effort to strangle 1863 newspapers in
the United States by raising the
postal rates from | cent a pound to 4
cents pound, also doing away with
free postage in the county where pub
lished.
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 re-
commend a repeal of the tax on the
transportation of public prints. There
is no resource so firm for the Govern
ment of the United States as the af-
fections of the people, guided by an
enlighted policy; and to this primary
good, nothing can conduce more than
a faithful representation of public
proceedings, diffused 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.
Were it not for the public press,
how much of the reform movement,
that is sweeping over the land, would
have become effective. If the trusts
are not backing Mr.. Madden in his
present efforts to make it impossible
for large portion of the newspapers
tolive, they are not supporting friend
as they should. Mr.. Madden is like
many other men who have gone into
the general post-office large and soon
grew small. This is what he said in
1892:
1.-THE legitimate press is considered
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 dis
tribution. In that case it is a justiti-
able expenditure for the public and
there should be no complaint.
EDWIN c. MADDEN, in 1902
The general postofflce is one of the
worst places to contract mans in
tellect in the whole service. Every
now and then Congress has to lack
up" the department and make it look
over the stone wall, behind which ii
tries to see the world.
The postoffice department should be
somewhere near self supporting, per-
haps, but that is not necessary. 1t
conferS such immense benefits upon
the whole people in promoting educa
tion that, like the public school system
it should not be asked to clear direct
cash profit.
"There is injected into the body
polite each year." said President
Grant, 'such vast amount of ignor
ance and superstition as to place In
doubt the perpetuity of our republican
institutions. T" The best way to in.
crease this ignorance and superstition
is to hamper the public press with a 4
cent postage rate and shut off free
county circulation.
Mr.. Madden is now possessed will
the idea of making profit for the
postoffice department and to do this
he desires to raise the rates. Re
Gently Mr.. Boyce, of Boyce's Weeklies
offered to form syndicate to take
over the Postal business, reduce the
rates and give the government all
over per cent profit.
The railroads are notoriously padding
the mails every time a trial month is