The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1862-01-24
The Franking Privilege.


The Franking Privilege.
The savans, who are serving the dear
people in the House Of Representatives,
in the National Congress, met in Decem
Der last, and feeling the demand for re-
trenchment in governmental expenses,
made by the people, determined to do the
thing up on grand scale and IN order
to exhibit to the world model of patri
otism, resolved that they would sacrifice
upon the altar Of their country that sys
tenn, (Which, if properly used, we con-
ceive to be a blessing to the people,, so
much abused by the honorable members
themselves-the Frauking Privilege.
A bill is prepared--rcported to the
House-discussed- with magma.
nimity which the country will wonder at,
the House passed the bill abolishing the
Franking Privilege, by a large majority.
1t is now before the Senate for their ac-
ton, and if the patriotism of the members
of the Senate, equals that of the members
of the House, the thing will be did, and
hereafter the endorsement of a M. C.'s
name on letter or package, will not go
current with post office officials, nor will
the mail bags of Uncle Samuel be SO heav-
lily laden with extraneous matter, which,
when it reached its destination only
fit for waste paper.
Whilst We rejoice with the people over
the abandonment of a system which, in
the hands Of corrupt politicians, has been
perverted to the basest purposes, and
turned from its original design, to pander
to the aggrandizement and political influ-
ence of petty demagogues, we doubt the
propriety and question the purity Of that
patriotism, which in the application of
corrective measures, to any patent abuse
of thing, will lead those who have the
power to work the change, to sacrifice
the business and the interest Of the local
public in our county towns, upon the al.
tar of their own mad schemes If the
NJ. C.'s wanted to give the people an ex-
hibition Of their true devotion to their
country, in retrenching the expenses of
the Government, why not in the framing
of a bill to abolish the Franking Privilege,
only make it applicable to themselves,
without hitching on clause doing away
with the free exchange, by mail. now
practiced by the press of the country, and
which in measure contributes to the
life of newspaperdom in the rural districts.
But the bill contempates this very
thing, if the current reports are true,
which in its practical workings, if the bill
becomes law, will be to kill one half of
the newspapers now in existence in the
Union. 1t may be, that the NJ. C.'s dread
the power that the country press has
gained aud knowing full well that the
city journals can never become local, in
the sense of county paper, have taken
this method to strangle them to DEATH
We know not upon which horn of the di-
lemma our Representative has hung his
cap, but we opine that if he has sanctioned
this Franking abolishing bill, with the
knowledge of the fact that it incorporated
in it, clause to prevent a free exchange
as now practiced by the press, that he
win hear little loud laundering and see
some bright flashes Of lightning, fulmi-
mating from the press Of the Ninth Con-
gressional District, for SO fragrant breach
Of trust in not protecting their int res s
We hope the good sense of the Sena-
tors, who should have well balanced minds,
will see that the obnoxious features of the
bill are expunged before they pass it.
Retrenehment can take place in other de-
partments of the Government, without
cording theinecks of those engaged in con-
Quoting the printing business in the coun-
try, by levyipg ON them heavy tax for
their exchanges. r.
The more we think of it the littler and
the meaner does the act appear. We
used to think that M. T.. was high
minded, honorable character, but such
acts are bemeaning.
o ye people, think Of it! Congress
begins to retrench the expenses of the
Government by abolishing the right o.
poor, half-starved printers to receive theil
few exchanges by mail free. o, grea
toads and little fishes, what set of wise
men we have at Washington-Patriot
every one Of them.
The Contested Sent in the Senate
The contested election case of Frederick
P..Stanton aganint General Lane is con
sidered one of the most interesting that ev