The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-06

AT this point IL may be asked IL It not bettcr for
oil dedciences rather than simply pay It's own post
agesf To TINS question the answer should he an
emphatic negative II Is not better that government
should continue 10 blndly pay all DEFICIENCIES. No
policy could be more unwsc both for itself and the
department IL Is unjust TO government, because IL
thereby assumes to pay hostages not only on Its own
matter, but also on all fraudulent matter that may in
Its name and under cover Of the counterfeit franks Of
ment, because IN SO dealing with Il government
creditor who mas rendered Important services and
wno In consideration thereof, II entitled to demand
It's gates appealing In his helplessness for charity.
THIS Is q great moral and political wrong It
dependence, and destroys to o great exleut It's
usefulness II makes 1t the p ckhorse or every other
branch Of the public service. aud compels 1t to
assume, without question: whatever burdens
may DC laid upon Its back. work as steadily and "a
skiIfnlly az they may the managers OF the depart
ment know that at the end OF the year their
must show the inevltable de1clensy Is this justs
| Win this encourage activity and vgilancea Wlh
department with It's forty Thousand or more
employees, has lahored to discharge every duty faith
fully. las carried It's mails alnety-oae millions OF
miles and distributed them according to order
among forty millions OF people, and 70 accomplish
this nas fought every incn OF is way against frauds
which government itself mas licensed 1t IL A. least
entitled TO respectful rscognltsn Of It's services.
instead OF being consigned 70 everlasting insoE
vency.
Turning from subject the consideration OF which
encourages every man connected with the serves,
| gent administration OF the department until an
accurate knowledge be obtained OF ts resources
aud liabilities Its revenues and expenditures ihis
| IL impossible long tao ranking privilege sna
be allowed to oDstruct many Of the important ave-
| nues TO Information. -. -
| so much for tho especial privilege" claimed for
But much moro can be said IN favor Of cxtirpatinr
this evil. The cost OF urea natter mas been IN
creasng from year TO year until NJ last IL weieis
down the department Int continuous insolvency.
The additional expense TO watch IL subjects the ser
| vice Is counted by millions, wnle there IL PROVIDED
10 meet ii only the standing annual appropriation or
100000 IL was stated ten years ago that tho de-
| nart,nent actually expended, at that time In tho
performance Of tho dulles which the ranking priv
icge imposed litie. ANYTHING snort OF $5oo0.Ooo.
Since that time tho expense has largely Increased.
| and am convinced that It now exceeds the enor-
nous sum OF S6,0oO000, OF which about one-haf ~
paid fraudulent matter. That this IL not exRg
| gerston wlll appear from an examination OF tha
| weight OF mail matter sent and received at the
washington CITY Post ONCE IRON the 1ltn to tho 3ist
OF January 1852 AZ officially reported 70 the depart
menL by thls T1tnrn 1t appears that the weight 0f
free letters s6ht was $50 pounds, and or free let
ters received 1e,sss pounds. making for twea-