New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-17
THE FALLACIoUs SCHEMES OF DEMO
CRATIC REFORM.

THE FALLACIOUS SCHEMES OF DEMO
CRATIC REFORM.
From Our Special Cosr-,poLdert 80
WAsHIN GTON, Feb. 10, 1859.
In the general hurry -seurry TO see who shall be
first to propose some really valuable measure OF
reform in the matter Of the national expenditure,
all sorts of cIudities are brought to light.
f.yorte idea it, that the abolition OF the frank
ing privilege is going 20 work wonders in the Post
Office Department. This is not so. Congre. tp'
propriates 5000 600 year 10 defray the extra
expense Of the fesuked matter and, beyond q
doubt. it more than does it. Knock 1t oil of, aud
expenditure of Sc coo, COO, we shall save 5000 CO.,
But there is no reason 70 suppose there wl be any
sucb saving az this even. Look at the mail routes
all over the country; look at the 10000 Post
masters and lei us see where the expense OF them
will be brought down if the fraDking privilege Is
abolished. viii it be in the North Westl Sup
pose the lettings of the States Of Iowa, OF Wiscon-
sin. of Michigan, of Ohio even, were to be adyer-
tised tomorrow, with the agreement tina; the
franking privilege should be abolished. Suppose
YOUR contractors TO be all assembled in Washing
ton CITY, and they were and all asked to offer
the proposals the existing routes on this basls
what deduction would they propose, or could they
afford to propose, fir Jm their present pay Could
they save a single trip per annum! Could they
reduce the number OF their horses, their Carriages,
or their drivers, by single one How would 1t
be on the nunberless routes IN New. York and
Nsw.England 1t is yery doubtful, in my jndg-
ment whether the difference in the expense be-
tween carry ing the franked matter and not carry
ing it, on nearly all the interior lines OF the
country would be an sppreciable SUN ~ the ex-
peuditures of the Department. How would 1t be
as regards compensation 10 the huge army OF Post
masters Would single mans appointment De
Cancelled. or a single mans salary or pay be re-
ducedl Not mans. Bu an increase rather in
some cases, growing out of an enlarged quantity o
paid matter. The principal saving that would be
made would be on the grea, central railroad lines
diverging from this city, where the matter goes
out by the tun. But as IL gets away little, 1t
becomes rapidly subdiyldcd, until the extra weight
does not seriously affect the expense OF the mail
seryicc. Certainly, it cannot be thought to do 1t
beyond the $500, 900 now appropriated. Let II be
remeu bered that there are but 500 men on Capitol
Hill and that this allows them the enormous sum
of 50, GOO year piece to pay their postage.
say nothing against abOlishing the Thanking priv
iege: | only say it is going To make no such saving
To the Department as seems TO be supposed. The
leak is not here. 1t is in your California service;
il is in your steamship service. IL lies IN the power
Of favOritsm at the head Of the Department to es-
tablish unnecessary lines OF gigantic magnitude at
enormous expense and dip its hand into the gen.
eral Treasury and take out whatever is necessary
TO foot the bills. Here is where the mischief lies.
Ii is in the lavish and fatal system on which the
Post Office Department Is administered. The De-
paTtraent must be made Stlf-sustarnng, or il viii
become Of it be not already becoming) the most
UNANIMOUSLY corrupt, as 1t Is now one OF the most
enormously extrayagant Departments OF the Gov
eminent. This is the cure, and the only cure for
the POST Office Department.
Nh Hunter was rs right in his general views
upon this subject, that he put forth yesterday, as
he was wrong ON the subject of ad yal0rems. On
this latter question the New-YOrk importers have
manipulated and befogged him till he has fallen into
a perfect bog of error. Mr. Stanton of Ohio has
been some time collecting the facts On this subject
and VIII soon present the results OF his investiga-
ton and demonstrate the existence Of immense and
systematic frauds constantly practlced under the
ad vaIorem SYSTEM (which, II would seem, must
convince even Mr.. Hunter.
You will have observed that Mr. Hunters gen.
eral views on the Tariff question were ioreshad-
owed BY Nr. ToOmbs IN his recent speech 90 the
finances; and that there is now an open and public
concurrence of sentiment among the influential
men OF the ruling party on the point that nothing
need be and nothing should be, therefore, done
with the present Tariff. II anything were wanting
before TO make it plain that the Iari1 VIII not be
disturbed at this session, Mr. Hunters speech sup
plies the want.
The vote of the House yesterday, refusing Mr..
Phepss motion 10 suspend the rules tn revive the act
authorizing u reissue of Treasury notes, shows lts
temper toward the Administration. Mr.. Phelpss
motion got CO votes out of about 2O0 The men
called Democrats, by courtesy, in the House, are
mere aggregation of colliding atoms. They form
a party on no one subject or question. Yet sup
pose some way viii be found 10 obtain the sanction
of msjority of the House to loan of money SUI
fcient to save the credit of the Government either
in the form of Treasury notes or of regular loan.
But the Administration is wholly without power
in the body and what il gets Will be granted from
grace and iOrbearance.
Perhaps some day We shsll have al Executive
Government that viii get the Jacksonisn maggot
out of its head, and learn that the House OF Repre-
sentaiyes is body to BE- conciliated IN all It's POI
hticsl divisions and net mere mob to be insulted
and coerced.
The debate In the Senate yesterday on that inia-
nous fraud the Indiana Senatorial election, was
extremely animated and very able. The ground
less pretenslons of the sitting men, and the inc0n
sistent and dscreditable posture of the Senate on
the question, were thoroughly sifted and exposed
and put home with great power and effect. The
debate should be widely disseminated. The de-
Tense of the majority or rather the absence Of its
defense, was one of the most marked results of the
discussion. The action of the Senate in this case
is Of the most Notifying of all the events of
its history. 1t viii tend more than any thing it has
done for long period, ever, II diminish the re-
81 s.f Ia for 81, 80 q.