The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-25
THE REPU BLIC.


1t has been asked by an able and accomplish
Representative from Maryland whether ''the
people had not as well be taxed for the trans
poriatlon of their letters as be taxed Indirectly
for the payment of the public debt? Is it not
wholly immaterlal TO our constituents whe.
ther we draw this money from the right hand
pocket or from the left2' We would ask that
gentleman, in reply, whether the people had
not as well be taxed for their schools, their
printing presses, and their churches, "as be
taxed indirectly for the payment of the public
debiF Nay, we may with propriety further
ask, whether schools, printing presses, and
churches may not as well be taxed as taverns,
theatres, and gambling houses2 Is it not i'm
material whether we draw the money "from
the right-hand pocket or the left?''
The duty performed by the Post Office De
partment is such, in our opinion, as to merit the
constant aid and encouragement Of the Gov
ernment; but we do not ask this We limit
our demands 10 what we believe will be ac-
coded, and we do so for the purpose of in
surng success The day may come when a
bonus TO the Department for the promotion of
its benignant services will be as freely given
by the General Government as such things are
now given by the States for the endowment of
hospitals or universities. When thus freely
given it will be well but, we repeat, nothing
of the kind is now asked. Nothing but even
handed justice is expected but this will be
demanded with an unrelaxing determination
The demand comes up from the people them
selves, and must be heard
We now come to the question, What tariff
Of charges ~iH be equitable and adequate TO
the maintenance ofhe Post Office establishment
We believe the following would come up to
this standard, viz:
|. A uniform charge of two cents on letters
weighing half an ounce or less.
2 Newspapers one cent each to any part of
the Union
g. Periodicals, pamphlets, and other mailable
matter one cent an ounce.
Two cents per ounce is assumed as the mean
charge, according to this scheme and that is
equal to SIG 80 per ton. Can the mails not
be carried at this rate? Are there none among
our fellow-citizens who would be willing to en-
ter into contracts for transporting over the mail
routes and delivering the mails at this price per
ton? Advertise for them, and the Capitol of
the Nation will not contain all the bidders you
will attract by the proposition. We are conf
dent and sanguine in this belief and would be
entirely willing to reduce the rates of postage to
this standard
But the President OF the United States and
al Il
the responsibility Of the proposed change, have
given TO the subject their most earnest atten-
ton, and have obtained from every accessible
source all the information they could procure in
relation to the results of a reduced tariff of
charges. They have brought to bear upon the
subject the liberal determination to reduce the
charges to the lowest possible standard but
they have also looked guardedly to the posi-
oility that the sanguine hopes Of the advocates
OF cheap postage might betray them into error,
and have added prudence to their zeal; and the
result of their serious and attentive labors has
been proposition, according in spirit with the
desires of the advocates of reform, and yet so
cautiously protected from the evil effects of too
sudden transition as TO dispel the alarms of the
over-prudent and chary opponents Of the mea-
sure. The recommendations of the Postmaster
General, approved by the President, are to the
following effect:
/. Inland letters, prepaid. ............... cts.
not prepaid. ......... 4"
The prepaid price TO be reduced to cents.
when it shall be ascertained that the
revenues Of the Department, after the
duCtlOns now rcCOmmended shall have
exceeded its expenditures by more than
per cent for two consecutive fiscal
years.
2. Single letters 30 or from the Pacific
Coast, South America, the Eastern Con
tinent and it Islands and points beyond
either ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 30
3. Other sea going letters. ...,......... 10 &"
4. Newspapers, inland, from Office of pub
LEGATION 10 subscrib r................... | 4"
8. Pamphlets, periodicals., and other print
ed matter, 2 ounces or less. ......... ?"
Pamphlets, each add onsl ounce or frac-
ton. .......................... ! q"
o. The sea going charge printed mat
ter, ttoice the inland rate;
T. But iohel the letter rate is twenty cents, four
times the inland rate ["This," the Postmaster
General remarks, would, in some cases, increase
the postage on printed matter sent to the Pacific
tage is not already fixed by postal Arrangement;
but the postage to California, above proposed,
would hardly equal the price now charged by pri-
vato expresses for the conveyance Of the same
weight in packages of Tess than one hundred
pounds, 10 San Francisco.''1
The bill before the House of Representa-
tatves, "a synopsis Of which we gave yester-
day.) was not framed with reference TO this
scheme, nor are any Of the various amendments
| proposed to be made to it in accordance with
these recommendations; and yet a careful ex-
animation of them, and perusal Of the speeches
made upon the subject, will reveal the fact
that the plan Of the Postmaster General stands
about midway between the two classes Of OPT
plons that have been developed. while il looks
TO the final accomplishment Of what is aimed
at by the most sanguine friends of reform.
For the purpose Of analysing this plan, and
unfolding our views upon its constituent parts,
we shall again recur to the subject.
No ,.onr - n