The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-30
THE POSTAL SYSTEM.

| THE POSTAL SYSTEM.
In our review of the Postmaster Generals
report, last week we omitted to notice his recon
meditation that the Thanking privilege be abOl-
! ished. We entirely concur in this suggestion,
and hope that it may be adopted 1t is not
! only fruitful source of corruption and abuse,
but an insuherable sponge upon the time of
members. The duties Of legislation, if properly
| performed require time for reflection, research.
and debate; and the exercise of the Thanking
! privilege, to the extent of making it useful TO
the people in the diffusion Of information, is
| entirely Inconsistent with these higher duties.
! The Postmaster General, in his report, es-
abolished, in which we entirely concur. He es-
Inmates that it costs one and a half million of
dollars TO transport franked matter. At present,
the Department receives an annual appropria-
ton Of 500. 900 from the Treasury in consider
alton Of this burden but it is believed to be less
than half enough. Apart from this consdrra-
ton We are opposed TO the franking privilege
! on moral and political grounds. The privilege
is grossly abused. Practically. every man in
Washington, who chooses to exercise II, is in
vested with this privilege. In the first place,
some hundreds of expert writers are employed
by members to write their names for them; and
| these men are paid two to five dollars per day
for their services in this way In addition to
this army of professional fiankers, as many
more, or perhaps five times as many more,
practice it for their own convenience and emo
ument. The Washington Union states that the
business correspondence Of Washington is CON
Quoted to a large extent under cover Of the
Thanking privilege; and thus the mails are lit
orally loaded down with public and private
matter sent free Of postage. BY all means let
the nuisance be abated
BIT we are opposed to the substitute recon
meiided by the Postmaster General. He rec
ommends that members Of Congress and others
who have enjoyed the fr:,nking privilege be al
lowed stamps in lieu Of it, ad Hbitam. We can
not see how this plan would remedy the evil.
We are not sure but that, in this age Of patent
Inventions a machine might De invented for
the purpose Of sticking on of stamps with as
much facility as names can be written. 1t
would be out Of order to suppose that a mem
Der Of Congress or public functiOnary could
stoOp TO the meanness Of selling stamps; but
even that abuse is within the range of physical
possibility. In our judgment, much more
simple and effective remedy than that suggested
by Mr. Brown would be to allow moderate
sum for the purchase of stamps. One hundred
dollars for instance, would pay for three thou
sand three hundred and thirty-three threecent
stamps and any man, who writes more letters
than that in twelve months will have very little
time 10 devote To statesmanlke occupations.
As to sending out private speeches and docu-
mcn,s. the whole thing should be done al pri-
yate cost, and such matter sent out by the Re
publicans would 20 much safer through private
channels. II is notorious that the deputy post
masters aud employees have no scruple in stop
ping Republican publications. even in the free
State; while in the South they are contraband
Of war. and are no more tolerated bv Mr.. Browns
sworn officials than are the lnanifestoes Of
Mazzini, Hugo, and Kossuth, in. France and
Austria
With these views of the franking privilege. We
have studiously retrained from awaiting our
selves Of it in our business correspondence. We
hold that have no right to deprive the De
partment Of it, revenue, and impose upon it the
burden Of carrying our letters and circulars,
although our occupation is to difuse know ledge
and sound principle among the people And,
for a greater reason, We protest against a svs
TEN which enables men to rob the Department
By fraudulenty compelling it to convey ordi-
nary business correspondence gratuitoasy.