The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-12-22
The Frankinq Abuse.
hope Congress will make haste, if

OF Congress have no longer time 10
write their names upon the multitude OF
documents which they send free through
the mails, but use stamp instead. The |
/ Thanking privilege was designed to CO
/ CT the Official correspondence OF Con |
orcssmen with officers Of the Govern !
ment as;d with their constituents; hut it
has swollen to probably ten times It's
legitimate dimensions, and has turned
the Post Office of Congress into a per
/, feet curiosity shop. There is legend
of a Congressman from the far South
West, in the days before the war, who
used to frank his soiled linen home TO
be washed We know that Mr. Brooks
disseminates circulars advertising The
| New York Express by means of his
| printed frank, aud Mr.. Demas Barnes
sends out price lists of his Mustang
Liniments" and Soothing Syrups."
Congressman O'Neill, Of Pennsylvania
has recently been found franking all
over the country and good thick pam
phle5 published by the Union League of
Philadelphia, and labelling it, by pleas
ing freedom of language, "Pub. Doc"
We dare say the book contained u great
deal more useful information that nine
out of ten documents issued from the
Government Printing Office; but it was
not public document for all that, and
if Mr.. O'Neill wanted to send copies of
it through the mail, he ought to have
paid the postage, as any private gentle
man would. During the last election
| canvass, it was common for Congress
mar who were candidates for reelection
to frank ballots addressed all through
their districts and we know of at least
one case in which. by some process Of
legerdemain which we do not under
stand, the printed frank of candidate
was used to cover the ballots of his OPP
ponent. 1t is no. easy to see how the
privilege can be confined strictly within
its legitimate limits-if there is any
thing legitimate about it; but if Con-
gress will not abolish it altogether, it
might at least forbid the use of printed
franks, and the application of written
ones to any but official letters and doc
uments. n. Y. Tribune.
The above reminds us Of the opera
tons Of our distinguished NJ c. in this
district, and we mention them more to
effect reform of the abuse complained
OF by the Tribune, than with any other
feeling. 1t will be recollected that Mr..
Julian had his Photograph taken and
electricity ped, anu that it, together with
q biographical sketch, written by him
self, and 4 tough in fiber phrenolog
ical delineation of the contents of tue
capacious caput, that sits SO conspicu
ously and gracefully on his shoulders.
The only thing we have ever received
under the frank of this eminently distin-
gulshed man and NJ. c., was that Phrc-
biological Journal, marked Pub. Doc"
Hundreds of his well beloved constitu-
ents throughout the then Burnt Dis
trict,' received this extraordinary Pub.
Doc" in the same manner, at Uncle
Sans expense when she ought to have
| gentleman would"
} Just prior TO the meeting of the Mass
} Convention at CentreviIle, on the Sth Of
: Feb: last, our distinguished representa-
. tive, f.r convenience Of transmission,
had number Of TYPOGRAPHICAL letters
!, executed at Washington City, and sent
, there, under his frank, to his especiai
friends and adherents in this county;
t urging them to orally the whole force Of
their townships" and attend that Con-
, vention, and, in that letter, he makes
, the following appeal and argument to
: secure their compliance:
"Our success in the Congressional nom :
nation will probably hinge upon the &C.
! ton Of Wayne county in April, for ca,
hardly expect to succeed in the othe,'
counties, if start out with defeat 81
!. home. The right sort of men should
i be chosen to the State Convention,
SO as to influence the gcneralsentimenr
. of the State in my favor
. But the "great point he further
urges, is the selection Of his peculiar
friends to compose the township com
mittees, and the Central Committee OF
! the County, and he adds
: "This is the real issue. for it involves
the whole question of our success, and
q my enemies, we'll knowing it, will fight
: like SO many demons for the control OF
+ the polls. Let every true man there
4 fore, be at Centrcville on the day of the
- Convention, and be there early The
: contest, as usual, will be bitter, hut We
!. can win. and must. The victor y
q will he worth far more than any vel
! achieved, for it will be q fnal victory
!. over desperate faction of malignants
a who. as last resort, have attempted t.
4 IIegislote me out Of Congress- etc.
e We give these extracts to show the
J. character of the "Pub. Doc " that ouI
distinguished Nj. C. used the frankins
, privilege to place it possession of hi
l. friends, at Uncle Sans expense. Thi,
- case equals the franking of dirty linen
= or any other the Tribune cnumerate.
above, and with that paper s'we hop,
Congress will make haste, it not t.