Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-09-27
Democratic Consistency.

Democratic Consistency.
Il will be remembered that somc weeks since
the Democratic Postmaster at Washington City,
refused to send Of large number OF Republican
documents. designed for Minnesota. and bearing
the frank Of Hon John Uovode. Of Pennsylvania.
on the plea that the name Of the person Thanking
was not written by himself. This fact coming otho
knowledge Of Mr.. c., that gentleman at once call
cd on the Postmaster. and acknowledged the frank
rs genuine, some having bcen written by himself
and others BY his direction. This did not satisfy
that very scrupnlous officer. be alleging Ahat
member Of Congress or other public officer, had no
right to delegate his franking privilege to another
persou This act of the Washington Postmaster
was universally applauded by the Democratic
press. and sustained by Post Mastert Holt
The decision, in itself, was doubtless u proper
ono; but we nes imagined for n moment, that II
high sense of public duty actuated Postmaster
Jones in his move Had the documents borne the
frank Of Democratic Congressman. even though
tho fact WINS apparent that hehad mover seen them
the conscientious scruples of the gentleman would
never have suffered tho slightest disturbance Had
the advancement Of Democratic interests been the
object instead Of tho promotion OF the Black Repub
lican cause, this faithful guardian of our pos
tai Affairs would have lot tho entire batch slide.
without institutng any unnecessary inquiry in
regard to the validity Of the frank they bore. The
fact has been notorious for years, that members
LOT Congress, as we'll rs other public functonarcs.
who enjoy tho franking privilege, have invariably
employed agents TO writo their names docu-
rnonts sent through the Post Office This has been
cs ,pccially the during exciting Presidential
canvasses thousands of speeches aud other cleo
pioneering documents passing through tho mails
from one end the Union to the other, and bear
ling the franks Of persons who had not been in
Washington for months previous to the date Of
their mailing. Tho Chairman Of the Executive
Democratic central Committee, at the seat of
Government had millions Of this trash sent Il
der his frank, while not one in u thousand of tho
packages bearing his name, had ever come under
his notice.
That all this sort Of thing was wrong and in d.
rect opposition to the law, we will not pretend to
deny but that persons claiming to he Democrats,
should have enjoyed an immunity in this particu-
lar not accorded to others, who happened to he
in opposition to that organization, is, wo think,
ter. To show how the thing works. we suljon an
extract from, tho last letter of the Washington
correspondent Of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That
correspondent says:
Severals bags of the speeches Of Mr.. Hendricks,
Commissioner Of the General Land Office, and u
pamphlet written by Mr.. q. DounclAn. II clerk
in tho Iowa Land Office, dated Democratic Club
Room, Washington, Sept. Sd. 1889, purpurtng tn
be ranked by j. d. Bright, United States Senator
have been sent to Burlington, IowaC,ty, Dubuque,
and other places in Iowa. through the Post Office
here Ii is probable that fifteen or twenty thous.
and Of these documents" thus franked, have
been sent to Iowa; and yct it is well known at the
Post Office here that Senator Bright did not franz
them himself, because he has not been in tho city
for three or four mouths paSt, and could not have
done But while these 30 called "documents
are sent Of in large quantities, the commcndablc
vigilance of the City Postmaster here, Dir. Jones
10 awakened by the fact that numbers OF Republi
can documents deposited in his Office irauked
by John Covode in part, and his name written OF
part by his orde-; and his sense of duty to The
country compelled him to arrest these and ioroid
their being sent, unless Mr.. Covode would declar,
that he himself wrote his name each individual
enveope! 1t Is the old tale of the farmer and tn,
lawyer, the buii and the OK. Whether mail mat.
ter shall be allowed to 20 free bearing the nam,
Of member Of Congress, but not written by sucl
or not.
Judge Blacks reply to Mr.. Douglas has been
going through the Post Office for some days past
frankcd by himself, or his name written by hi,
order. in envelopes printed on tho ou,side-th,
customary mode Of doing business at the depart
ments--''oflicial business" How u reply 10 NJ
article in magazine can become the official bu
sncss' Of the Attorney General, SURPRISES my
comprehension. Is not this something very Ike
fraud upon the Government? IL certainty ha,
that appearance seen from the stand point Of NJ
outsider.
Tue Republican publishes portion of Douglas
late speech in Ohio wherein, NOR. of ''thc rugye,
vulgarites Of his carly education" are indicated
than in any thing VIC have lately seen from him
Our contemporary, his organ, deems it proper t.
apologize for Douglas manner, and some Of hi
wan,on reflections upon his brother Democrat
Judge Black.
In tina, speech, Douglas claims to uphold an,
abide the decision Of the Supreme Court in th
bred Scott case, but we think It sufficiently mani
: fest to all who read the lucid exposition of Attor
ney-General Black, that there ID q wide difference
= between the doctrines Of the Court and the Ettl
4 iaiant The Court decides that the Constitutio
recognizes slavery in the Territories and IL boun,
TO afford it the same protection as any other prop
erty, and in effect, declares that the laws Of tn
Territories ~ such. shall in no wise impair ,hi
i fright Of property. But Douglas afhrms that th
i people Of Tssritsry ia their Territorial capacity
iAAa Awx Is.4A alas h. =