REMARKS.—In reply to the inquiries of our friend relative to the price of the REVIEW, we answer, that the present price is one dollar for a volume of 26 numbers, which, while the paper is published weekly, brings it at two dollars a year. To the poor we send it for half price—50 cts a volume, or one dollar a year—and to those who are desirous to receive the paper, and are unable to do any thing towards its support, free.
It may be thought that two dollars a year for such a paper is high in comparison with other papers in the land. But there are various things to be taken into consideration. First, we insert no advertisements, which is a great source of profit, to many papers. Second, in consequence of this, nearly the whole paper has to be set every week, which adds greatly to our expense in comparison with those papers which insert advertisements. Third, our circulation is small. At present we have only about fifteen hundred subscribers. Of these not more than twelve hundred can be expected to pay the full price, and we cannot expect to receive from the other three hundred who are the poor and free, more than $200. On these conditions our yearly expenses are not met into about $260, which sum has to be made up by donations from our special friends, which we give under the head, “To send REVIEW to the Poor.”
The advantages of a large circulation will be readily seen when we take into consideration that the cost of type-setting, editing, Office rent, wood, lights, &c.,156is no more for fifteen thousand, than it is for fifteen hundred, and the cost of every thousand above our present list would be only about $10; so that if we had four thousand paying subscribers we could furnish the REVIEW for one dollar a year; and if we had fifty thousand, for 50 cts a year instead of two dollars. We hope the time may soon come when our list shall be so increased that we can furnish the paper for, at least, one dollar a year.
We cannot forbear making a remark relative to the manner in which the truth was treated by the Methodist Elder. People in such cases usually present the best arguments they have; and if they employ nothing but ridicule, we may be pretty well assured they have nothing better. And we might inform him, that if to have persons leave his church, does not stop the earth's turning over, neither will his ridicule stop the progress of the truth. It has been used, for want of something better from earliest times, but it has not hindered the development of one of God's plans, or the fulfillment of one prophecy.—Ed.