, 1860-02-25
MANAGEMENT OF THE POST OF.
EICE ARCmENT.
Speech OF k1lo Hon. e. Chandler. OF
mlch1Gau.
lpEI1FEEED N TIE G. $. SENATE, "WEDNESDAY,
FEB. Is, 1856.

Mr. cnASp1Ea-Mr. President, the Senator
from Maine has pointed out few Of the reasons
why the Post Office Department is not self Bus-
timing; but he has not pointed them all out,
nor my considerable number Of them. In ny
estimation, one chief reason Of the great deh-
tue system Of jobbery that extends ail through
that Department. We have this morningcut of
: one great leak. We hayE-passed q bin which
will sare the Post Otlce Department some $32,-
GOO year on one class Of printing Alone The
gross wrong, which TINT bill corrects; has exist
ed for years; it was not wrong That has grown
up unob:erved, for it has been known 10 the
President Of the United states aud to the Post
master General; and yet it has been allowed to
60 on from year to year swallowing up the rev.
tnues Of the Department. It Is notorious that
answspaper published in this city was rurclas-
ed for u portion Of the patronage Of une single
job, other portions being em?loye ed to subs die
and corrupt party organs in other cities. de-
sire, on all occasions, to use parliamentary lau~
guage; hut in what truthful language shall
describe such transaction, if it be not robbie.
r. Of the Post Office funds under color Of law
Pest Office revenues or money in the Treasury
of the United States, are diverted from their
proper uses, 10 which they stand charged on the
books Of the Department, to tue purchase md
support Of servile newspapers, With the kuowl-
edge Of high official pcrsonages. The crime
for is it less than criminal ?s to be deprecated
All LuEIEly UeE2uSE tut oJtE4uAGut 4OoES SOAAG
thousands Of dollars in one branch Of the pub
lie service, but because the tuTpiiude ut the
head has corrupting moral influence down
through the long line Of officials TO the lowest
and most humble in station We have witnessed
lts ELECTS in Detroit Our Postmaster, knowing
that the Coa*titution wus subsidized from the
Post Office blank printing fund, and owning
sound Lecompson newspaper himself, supposed
he had perfect right to subsidize that paper
by placing it upon the revenues Of the Post Of
fce Department. The example before him be
wildered his neral sense, and be created sine.
cures in the Post Office Tor services to his uewa-
paper. In process Of time, lis political fuith
was not deemed sound, aud he was not only
turned out, but prosecuted. ostensibty, for sub
sidizing press in imitation Of one who holds
the high office Of President Of the United States
There is another newspaper in my city. which
i not very we'll Sustained. 1t is the leading
Democratic press Of my State; but it cannot
very we'll adnrd to pay Its editors. In that city
there is IN otiice-lwill cali it M offlce-of por
ter MESSENGER to the Post Office. ltis sala-
ried Office the duties of which are to transport
the mails from the Post Office to the cars. a
gentleman connected will the Democratic Free
Pttss is this salar1ed Post Office potter. lie re-
ceires q 200 year Us porter to the Post Office,
but he hires a cattman for go month to DO
the work. Four times year, ut the end Of each
quarter, he draws his $500, and pays ovcE lis
$50 to the man who does the work. He thus
pockets his salary from the Post Office Depart
| ment Of 81 200, less $240 which be pays to the
man who performs the service. Nine hundred
anu sixty dollars per annum are therefore paid
for no otner eurthly service than the partisan
support Of q corrupted press; and this Is no c1
ceptiopal case, for throughout this broad land
Post Offices and Custom Houses are made to
pay tribute for The same sycophaatic und de-
grading prostitution Of that engine which should
lilIuse both light and truth.
11,,+aN CIR T hura - f;tf1o fr+}har ar1
euce in my State In the summer Of 1857 man
in the town Of Lexington. in the Siate OF AcAi.
| gan, IVES detected iu robbiny the mail. 1t np-
| psa.ed 1h1t he was deputy postmaster; that
is 70 say, the postmaster lived some mile Or two
| away from the office. and depuiized him to net
rs postmaster, under the plea that, owning the
Democratic paper, he must receive tue revenues
Of the office to enable him to run his press. The
facts Of the case were set forth at the Post Office
Department. How was the guilty man treated. .
| The Postmaster of Lexington was removed, and
the identical man who lad robbed the mail was
appointed to succeed bin. I 1supposed that this
was i mere mistake; had supposed that they
had taken the Postmaster who had been re-
| moved for the thief. and applied at the Post
Office Department to have the mistake tctitied.
| brought the papers along and submitted Them
10 the Postmaster General, and said: "This is
clearly mistake, aud ask tlat it BE- recti!ied,
| aud that this mun be removed" lie said every
! well; will bare it Investigated"
This Was during the tsst session Of the
Thirty Fifth Congress, and some months after
| the man had been detected. went to the Post
| Office Department from time to time, but I was
turned away and sent to one Of the Assistant
| Postmasiers General to see what progress was
made i'll the investigation. Finally, tile Assist
| ant Postmaster General drew out j large guam
tily Of letters from leading Democrats III my
State, and said that it WIS necessary for the
| Democratic party that this man should Le kept
| in Office. "But," said !, this MIN is : post Of:
| fee robber, 4 thief; aud 1demaud that you lave
him removed. do not ask that Republican
be put in his place, but that you have u Demo-
| crut appointed who will not steal" Well, sir,
| the demand was deemed unreasonable. neWas
not removed; he was retained in Office; and
| more sir, he was prontoted-hc was promoted
to be the deputy United States Marsha! fur
| that district after these charges were made
aud proved. 1t was very lucrative place for
| him. Under the postmaster le could rob the
mail, and being deputy United States Marshal,
| his very first act was to establish an immense
manu!acsory Of counterfeit money, (laughter); j;
hut he held bis Office there for two y ars aItt r
these facts were establ shed. True, he was
liberal n,an lie owned newspaper press, sud
! thev could not have Democratic press there
without giving i the patronage OF: the post Of
| fee. lie spent his money freely, and he could
afford 10 do so for he made it himself, fiaush.
teri or oil beyond what be got by robtng the
mail.
1t is these abuses, extending from the l:ie1lcs.
to the lowest officer under this government,
connected with the Post Office Department,
| that prevents it FROM becoming self sustaining
concern. It is absolutely necessary that dill.
| ferent aud more economical system DC intro
| duced. l understand that tue present Post
muster General is laboring with a1l his might 10
reform many Of these abuses. hope lie will
succeed in remedying naoy Of them; but do
not believe the fE;nking privilege is the greatest
| or Que Of the greatest abuses.