New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-14
THE FRANRING PRIVILEGE.

THE FRANRING PRIVILEGE.
As Republicans, from mere party point of view,
we could not counsel the abolition of the Thanking
privilege The Republicans are the readers, the
writer's the correspondents of the Free States.
Of the enormous bulk of free mail matter traIs-
ported by the United States mails, the Free States
get an overwhelming proportion, and the Republ-
can party very large part of that proportion If
we viewed the subject from any narrow point Of
view we should therefore say, let the ranking
privilege stand. But, when we reflect upon the
gross abuses to which the system is subject, and
which will be practiced while it is preserved; when
we think of the great tax imposed by the trans
mission of useless lumber through the mails; of the
stimulants given by the system to vast printing
Jobs, to the manufacture of barnfulls of buncOmbe
speeches and of useless books, and of the
essential justice of every man paying for
whatever service is performed for him,
whether by the United States Government, or by
individuals we cannot overcoms the conviction that
every confederation of justice and fair play, and Of
economy in the public expenditures, demands that
this system shall be overthrow. 1t stands in the
way of cheap postage for the people, for by loading
down the mails the transportation of free matter
becomes tax upon the photographers. One
reason our Post-Offi .e Department is so horribly
behindhand in it's revenues is because of the enor-
nous burden imposed upon the contractors in
Transporting free matter. Destroy the Thanking
privilege and allow the mails 10 be carried in any
manner the contractors choose, and there are hun
dreds of routes all over the country where the
mails are now heavy tax upon the Department,
that would then be selfsustainiDg. An immense
reduction in the prices paid for mail service on
other routes would also be a result of the reform.
But what we conceive to be of vastly more i'm
portance than any other consideration, is the fact
that the abolition of the Thanking privilege is q
necessary step toward still further and greater re-
forms, looking ultimately to the abolition of the
Post Office department as branch of the Govern
ment. That Department, under its preseutorgan-
ization, is gigantic political engine of enormous
power in our Federal system. With it's thirty thou
,and postmasters looking to the Administration at
Washington for their opinions; its endless train of
contractors and paid agents, their routes threading
and covering the entire surface of the country like
q web, it Yields political power wholly incon-
sstent with our democratic theory of government
a power that we see abused now, by an outrageous
espionage of the mails in the Slave States, that
converts postmasters into mail-robbers and
censors of the public press, but which can
be abu.ed when occasion shall demand, in
still greater degree and in far more
comprehensive manner. We might see the Depart.
ment converted into q mere political machine,
throughout the country as it now often is in many
localities Certainly it will not be denied that the
political power which may be exercised by the De-
paItment and which is the inevitable fruit Of its
present organization, however hOnorably admins
tered is serious objection to its existence; and,
whenever it can be shown that the service per-
formed by it can be performed By private enter
prise, with equal efficiency, no objection can be
fairly offered to its reorganization on basis wholly
Independent of the Government.
But whether this result be near or remote
whether it be probable or improbable, the fact re-
mainS, that not the first step toward such con-
summation is possible while the franking system is
preseryed SO long as Uncle Sans mails can be
made the gratutous pack-hOrse of three hundred
and fifty gentlemen at Washington, three hundred
Of them invested with legislative authority, We need
not expect to find many among them ready to vote
for slsyDg the team that does their drudgery for
them without charge. Let US then, have the
abolition of the system in question as early az pos
,be, and as free from conditions as possible 1t is
generally wise to follow sound principle of legisa-
ton, though it may seem to bear hard against
cherished objects for the time being. Some CT the
Southern mep, in pushing this reform now, think
they are Djurng the Republicans, no doubt; but let
them enjoy their notion. If they think it will shut
down the gates upon the spread Of truth and intel
ligence in the Free States, they may take what
comfort they can from the delusion. We are
willing to believe it will not make one Republican
majority the less in the contest of 1860, or in any
subsequent election. At any rate, we know that
the reform embodes sound principle, and looks to
important economical, and perhaps other yet more
important results. We can thus afford 10 sustain
it heartily, whoever may be our coadjutors, and
whatever may be their motives.