Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-02-06


knew would produce million of dollars
of revenue; and that with the statistics in
reference to the Washington Office. sub
mitted by my friend from Ohio Mr..
HUTcHINs1 in his able speech on the sub
ject, would produce more than million
and half of dollars. This bill was hail
ed with approval by the metropolitan pa
pers; and the committee were commended
for having dared to attempt. in the face of
SO many unsuccessful attempts heretofore
in the House. to abrogate this privilege
We do not stop to inquire whether it
would not indirectly aid these papers. by
requiring the people to look to them more
exclusively for congressional news; but we
pushed it to its passage because we tho't
II was right. am free to say that while
the passage Of that bill was pending in the
House Of Representatives. did feel panied
that one or two members, who thought it
ought not to lrave been introduced, indi-
rectly imputed wrong motives to MS. l
thought, however. that we could bide our
time. The oill finally passed the House.
and it is now pending before the Senate
1t was distasteful to members, and yet
by majority of over two to one the
House of Representatives. with patriot
ism which l think worthy of this crisis.
said that this privilege. which their pre-
decesors had exercised since the first day
of the Government, aud by which we car
ried on correspondence with our constt-
uents free of charge. should be repealed,
and adopted a provision that would compel
us to prepay postage upon sll correspon-
dences. nine tenths of which is on other
peoples business. This House rose supe-
rior to its own private convenience and in
terest. and wiped out that privilege in or
der to increase the revenues of the Gov
ernment.
The other bill which the Committee on
the Post Office and Post Roads asked to
have passed for the same purpose of in
creasing the revenue. was to impose post
age upon mailable matter carried outside
of the mails, upon the very same trains
with the mails for which we pay so heavi-
| ly. 1t was the continuous and unquestion-
ed policy of the Government. from 1889
to lS45, that all mailable matter should
pay postage. / find. when this bill is in
troduced. that the very same presses which
commended the bill abolishing the frank
ing privilege. and said that it was right
that members should abolish that invidi-
Gus distinction between themselves and
other citizens, contend that this was all q
wrong, and insist that. having enjoyed
this privilege of sending papers on mail
trains free of postage. they shall not now
be required to surrender it. But let us see
its inequality. Look at the law as it
stands this day. A single poor humble
citizen. who sends Paper through the mail
and writes upon it ''all WE'LL" and pays
one cent postage upon it, what is his fate?
The law condemns him as violater Of its
provisions. He is brought before the
United States court, and fined five dollars
and cost; and yet sir, tons upon tons of
the same kind Of printed matter are sent
free of postage upon the very mail train
which conveys his prepaid paper for which
he finally pays so dearly. The summing
up of the whole matter is, that the papers
send by express on the roads where post
age would really compensate us for their
transportation. while they require the Gov
ernment to carry their papers for them on
the long and distant frontier routes. where
the expense and trouble far exceed the re-
ceipts.
Mr.. LoYEJoy, Permit me to say a word.
Mr.. CoLFAx. The gentleman from Illi-
nois must excuse me until get through,
and then | will answer his questions or
those Of any other member. Iwould yield
to my friend as soon as to anybody in the
House. l wish to go on with my argu-
ment. as a whole, without interruption,
SO as to finish it the more rapidly. Cries
of "Go on!''] ass
Mr., LovEJoY. Isimply wanted to ask a
question. ns EW = sf
The SPEAKER. The gentleman from
Indiana refuses to yield to the gentleman
from Illinois.
Mr. CoLFAx. A great many of the strict
ures upon myself and the Committee on
the Post Office and Post Roads are ably
written. / have read them with interest
and with care. as is my duty; for we should
oil seek knowledge wherever attainable,
even when emanating from critic instead
OF friend. One or two have written in
not the best temper; bat think that can
pass that by without recrimination; for /
have found in my experience that angry
replies only provoke wrath, and that be who
needlessly envelopes himself in clouds will
have but little sunshine upon his pathway.
find in the Boston Herald. which has
been sent to every member. of Congress. a
structure upon this bill of the character Of
those to which have alluded. 1t is writ
ten by gentleman who has evidently q
large experience in post office matters; for
he says that he writes from twenty years
of experience in the post Office business.-
Say the Herald:
1--WE undertake to say that Nj. CoLFAx
does uot know what be is attempting by
legisiation to accomplish. In the first
place, if he knew anything about post Of
fee matters, he would endeavor to keep
the newspapers out of the mails as much
as possible" - g 49, 7.H si'i r 7ei
acknowledge that I do not know as
much about postal matters as wish l did.
or as perhaps I ought to know as chair
main OF the Committee on tho Post Office
and Post Reads; but / will say what
think members around me will bear me out
in asserting. that have faithfully studied
the SYSTEM in all its Legislation and de-
tails 40 as To brin0 4 n the nerforxo apee of