Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-08-24
CHEAP POSTAGE.

~ AA""h'b6 PiifhCSO mas oCSouic
such burden on the great mass Of the
community, that it ought not longer to
be borne. Its immediate abolition
should be demanded. Ifa small class
of the people must be taxed to support
the P. O. department. which was in
tended for the prosperity Of the coun-
try at large, they should not, at the
same time, be taxed for the provision
that must of course be made TO carry
the immense number of franked docu-
ments that are now sent to the remotest
sections Of our country. Perhaps few
are aware of the great weight Of frank
ed matter that is sent by the mail.
The number of free letters mailed
in the Post Office in Washington, for
three weeks, during the session Of Con-
gress in April 1910, was 466,345.
Number of documents 4,3l4,94S
Weighing $50, 579 pounds.
Here were $50 tons Of franked mat
ter sent cut from Washington in 8
weeks. And all this, as it has been be-
fore observed, is paid for by those
whose business compells them to use
the post office.
The franking privilege is also abused
to shameful extent. | will give one
instance lately related in the Boston
Morning Chronicle. A man in Paris
wished to write to his friend in Boston
He wrote the letter and enclosed it in
another to a member of congress at
Washington, and he enclosed it in his
frank and forwarded it to the Boston
man. This is but one of ten thousand
instances of the abuse of the privilege.
To favor class of men who are
abundantly able to pay their own post
age, what is the consequence? Why,
simply this--The rate of postage is 50
high that people in moderate clrcum-
stances can neither do any thing toward
sustaining the establishment, nor de-
rive any benefit from it.
A friend Of mine lately related to me
a distressing instance in proofof this:
A letter was sent to a woman living at
the West, but as she was exceedingly
poor. she could not for long time take
it from the office for want of means
Her anxiety TO hear from her Eastern
friends, was very great, bot the necessl-
ty of stopping the cries OF her children
for bread, prevailed, and the letter had
to lie unread. At length, when she
raised funds to take it from the office, 1t
contained money to relieve her dis
tress. But Of this she had been long
deprived, in order TO sustain the frank
ing system, that the members of Con-
gress, Secretaries Of Bureaus. and other
wealthy functonaries, might have the
privilege of communicating free of cx-
pense.
Another friend informed me that he
had occasion lately to stop at farm
house in the country and stay during
The night. He heard the head Of the
family say in the evening, that there
was letter for him lying in the Post
Office, and that he had not the means
of paying for it. Notwithstanding the
great anxiety the family had to get
their letter from the Office, it was with
difficulty that he could induce them to
take enough for his nights lodging to
pay for it.
Another friend from St. Lawrence
Co. informed me that woman, whose
husband had gone to the West 10 look
out for settlement for his family, re-
ceved letter, but could not pay Tor
it. Ir her distress she called on
friend. who gave her money to take the
letter from the Office, which gave her
an account other husbands death. Had
she not met with kind friend months
might have elapsed before she would
have known of his decease.
Instances of this sort might be null
tinlied to any extent. The country
has long since felt the oppression
The causes are known. The remedy
is easy. and ought to be Immediately
applied. Let there be uniform two
cent postage, and then the benefits will
be extended to all, and all will do some
thing toward defraying the expenses
Of the department. Correspondence
will be increased probably more IMAM
five-fold within three years at lar less
expense from the simplicity of the sys..
tenn than at present. The prosperity Q,
the country will be promoted, and az
parts of the Republic will be uni'eI
together in the bands Of amiiy ana so0u