New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-14
po,r-0EFICE REFORM.

Wa have At various times called attention 70 the
fact that the PostOce may be abolished anu P'acea
in priyate hands in the same way that express saa
forwarding companies are managed. This suoJec'
c,n,be Of demonstration in every detail, as we nave
already shown in its chief points. 1t is one of imme
date moment and prophetic grandeur 70 THIS
for its adoption would be bold advance on 'ne
pie and practice of self-goyernment ana an ihnen'o
reduction of the powers patronage and presge '"s
General Administration. II would open the eyes vi
millions TO the necessity of reducing the other sn''
AT Washington in the shape of the various departments
by which the Government lie administered upon undis
eused principles of corruption and, In the iauguas7
of the late Mr.. Calhoun the bond Of party union
made 10 depepd on the cohesive power OF paolic
"plunder.r The National Post Office is the most
universally extended well as the most suosie
agent of the Federal Government. More even tnau
the Custom House, which is confined to the seaooard'
does the party power render itself felt throughout
the entire cOnfederacy by means OF the Post-ohce'
Whenever Postmaster is to be appointed, holding
his Office through the profit of the salary or that ind
recty accruisg to his country store or even esteem
ing it for the honor there is partisan influence az
work. Two-thirds OF the Blue Book are occupied
with the details of the Post Office; in word Its ma
chipery is more ponderous and ramifyng that that OF
all the other departments pat together There are
abou twenty six thousand postmssters in the United
States; the clerks amount to about twelve hundreds
the mail contractors are about fty-four hundred;
the mail agents are about hundred. This makes
force of some thirty -four thousand persons imme-
diately paid and controlled at WashiDgtou-a force
which increases vastly every year. inasmuch as the In
tercourse by letters and papers sent through the mails
more than keeps pace with the growth of the popula
tim.
1t is seriously worthy of inquiry whether this emil
nent power of corruption shall be lett to grow In the
hands of the Government, or be promptly taken
from the Government and placed in private
hands. If the tendencies of our present Admnlstra-
ton are to become really Democratic there would be
no doubt as to the course which must be taken.
The whole Post Office machinery must be broken
down-means of course being allowed for private
enterprise and capital to be ready at the moment to
take its place. The employment of Postmasters'
clerks mail contractors and mail agents. now the
whole business of the Department; the machinery
by which the mails are carried-the steamboats, and
railways the horses and wagons, and with few ex-
ceptions the Post Ofces-are already private things
So the changing of the PostO from political TO
private institution would be easy The gross me-
quality of making one State pay for another-as IL
done now-would be avoided by this reform
The subject we deem of such interest, that we
print, on another page the speech of Gerrlt Smith,
made during the last session, wherein he argues fol
the change in question. That speech will reward al
attentive consideration.