The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-03-31
Abolish the Post Office Depart
mGnl.

The impudent effort Of Toombs and
Mason in the Senate of the u. 5. 5. to
compel the House of Representatives to
increase the rates of postage, will set IA
good many people to thinking On the sub
cct OF the present monopoly in carrying
letters which the National Government
has arrogated to itself. The best men in
the nation lave always doubted whether
the true interests of the people were pro-
moted by this monopoly. This effort OF
the Slave Power to take a backward step
ana impose the old high rates Of p,stage,
will make the monopoly more odinus than
ever The " T. Ter. P1st, pertnently
inquiries why letters cannot be carried aS
cheap as oysters? ? And the last nunber
of Fornevs Weckiy Press contains the
following, in It's Washington correSpol.-
dence:
WAsuINGTON, March Is, 1850.
| have heard fron the best authority
that all effort will be made at the next
-csS,on OF Congress by a company of cap
italists, to undertake the business of car
rying the mails by contract. as private
enterprise Why not :? This the age of
railroads and Of reform, and also of reduc-
tion of expenditures Il would dispense
with thousands Of officials, and wou1 save
millions of money to the general Treasury
Huprrs Werky, in the issue of The l9ti
OF Ma:c.r, already ON sale here, has a cap
ltal article on this question, wnich con
talnS another turcible idea-;ls follows;
:. When our Govern nent was first e.
tabiishcd il was suggested that the carry
in= OF letters was not proper tunc'lon "t
Govern neut. Tue ira herS If the Con
Sttutipn, hnweye had 50 many radical
Innovations To occupy their mind that
they neglected this one, and the P">t Ot-
ice Department WAS leEt m Stniu qao. 1t
mas now wprked eighty wears, to the inf,
nite disadvantage bJtn of the public and
the Government.
1T an>weiS nu useful purpose whatev-
er. 1t inhictS three decided injuries
Letters are not carried safely nor swiftly,
and thus tie public are injured. The al =
nual deficit in the revenue IS enormous,
aud thus the Government is embarrassed,
The appointment Of postmastcrS on poIlt-
ical .ruuLdS tends tn demoraize citizens
throughout the country. and thu> II works
mischief among the most active class nt
the people Here are three Arguments
each of which is conclusive against the
system. The subject may vainly be
searched for a single solid argument in
its favor.
:" If the postal service were thrown
open to the pubic the express companies
would at once undertake it. Letters could
be carried at least as cheaply as at pres
ent; and in case OF lDSS, the amount lost
could be recovered from the carrier. Cu IL
petition would secure speed III trans MS
sinn and exactuess in delivery. The Gov
ernment-that is to say, the tax payelS-
would save i've or six millions year.
Express companies could serve, without
luss. post routes that cost the present
Postal Department large sum annually /;
they would make enough on frei ght to
reimbur the II for any loss on letters.
"The argu nentS in favor Of the change
are, in fact, >o oterwh lining hat nothing
can prevent It's speedy realization but the
base LeSira Of politicians to keep up the
presen, patronage of the Depart.mcnt--to
which, more than to any other single
cause, the decentralization Of our politics
l. due"