The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-04-02

the Clerk al the House oil Representatives,
requesting from him certified copy of the
correspondence 10 which we alluded, and re-
ceived from him, through his assistant Clerk,
the following, which will leave Mr.. Kendall
and his organ no room to Buchananise Here
is the correspondence:
(Copv)
PosT OrEcE DEPARTMENT,
April Path, 1887.
| Waller S. Franklin, Esq,
Clerk House Of Representatives., 4'e.
| Sir-The enclosed Is presumed TO relate TO packet
bearing your frank as Clerk Of the iiouse. SEM
10 you for perusal, with request thai you WIZ re.
turn II. II is presumed you could not have been
aware OF the contents OF the packet II you put your
frank on IT,
Very respectfully,
Your obedienl servant,
AMOS KENDALL,
YoRx, April Goth, 1887
Sr-I received your note of the Oath instant, en-
closing letter directed 10 Daniel Coleman, Esq,
post marked Hayneville, Alabama, signed by some
one whose signature am not able 10 decipher, but
whom presume to be the Postmaster, complaining
that packet had been ranked BY me 10 Mr. Dud-
ley, containing cotton seed have no recollection
OF The packet but the probability Isl that ranked II
at the Instance Of member Of the House Of Repre-
senatives. The offence, in the view Of the writer,
to consist in sending by mail, under my frank,
packet containing cotfOn seed.
II there is any law OF Congress, or regulation Of
the Post Office Department, which prohibits the
transmission by mail Of packet containing seeds,
have, in very many instances unknowingiy violated
IT, In The law recognizing the Post Ofhce Depart
ment, find that the Both section, under penalty,
prohibits Poslmasters from receiving free Of post
age or Thanking any letter or packet containing any
thing other than paper or money!" from which
would infer that other persons possessing the frank
ing privilege we're not intended to be SO limited in
The exercise of H.
During the first session of the oath Congress,
transmitted BY mail, packets containing sugar beet
seed should think for nearly one-balf OF the mem-
bers OF the House OF Representatives, without sup
posing for moment that was transcending my pri-
viege sent number OF the packets OF the seed
to my own friends in different parts Of the country,
and really thought was serving The community by
doing so
During the last session. distributed in the same
way number Of packets OF corn, said TO be Of su-
peror quality furnished TO great number Of the
members Of Congress by Mr. Ellsworth. have also
received, through the mail packets OF SEEDS Tor my
use without the slightest idea that was, in the
language of the Haynevlle letter, guilty OF an out
rage
Ii have erred in these matters, have done so
unwuingy. | never will, knowingly, abuse the
verned by any law OF Congress, or regulation OF The
Post Office Department in relation thereto
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
w. s. FRANKLIN,
Clerk Fl. r. u. S.
The Hon. Amos KENDALL, Postmaster General.
Office, House Of Representatives Y s.,
March 3lst, 1910.
/ hereby certify that The foregoing is truly copied
from the public letter book Of this office.
B. B. FRENCH,
Assistant Clerk III. R. U. s.
We ask the reader to peruse the two letters
Of the Post Master General, and decide for
himself, sohether it be true, as stated in the
letter Of the 18th Of March, that he was then
for the first time apprised Of the claim Of the
Clerk to frank packages for members Of Con-
gress. The former Clerk had been in the
habit Of ranking cotton seed, beet seed, corn,
and other things, for members Of Congress,
and Mr.. Kendall ,oas appraised Of Tin 1897,
and yet it is not until the eve of an election
in Connecticut, in 1910, that he undertakes to
interdict the practice as fraud, and denounce
those engaged in it as culprits"!!
But we are assured, by the Connecticut
Delegation, that they are not guilty Of the
charge imputed to them. But who is the
real, responsible culprit We are assured it
is SILAs WRIGHT, Jr! What is to be said
of these fellows who, upon the stop h'ef
principle, attempt to arraign others to cover
their own abuses ? We are credibly inform
ed that 300 loco foco documents were lately
sent into one town in Connecticut, under the
frank Of Silas Wright, Jr.! These documents
rere sent TO the Hartford Post office, accom-
panied by blank franks, and it is stated that
the address was added by the Clerks IN the
Hartford Post Office We have, ourself,
seen an envelope, ranked by al. F. LINN
and directed by another hand, to Il boatman
in New London, CT. These, then, are the
real "cuIprits;" and now Mr.. Kendall, by our
aid. has "ferreted them out" let us see what
he will do with them.
But the Globe. Albany Argus, and Rich
mond Enquirer have made great cutlery
about the alleged subscriptions OF Opposition
Members Of Congress to central fund LOT
the purchase and distribution Of papers and
documents The very last number oil the
Official Organ contained an extract from the
Rochester Republican, complaining luguori-
ously that the Loco-focos had to contend
against "great central corruption fund "
This is another imitation of the pheasants
device, to decoy the people from their own
foul nest. Do THEY not raise " corruption
funds" by a tax on office holders 10 influence
elections! This was proved by the Investi-
eating Committee of last year And the fact
is notorious that the Globe was started, in