The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-14

pend on some intellectual meatshop for |
ideas, at least exercise a mans faculty of |
choosing for yourself Hear both sides and |
choose. |
ABUSE OF THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE. |
From, the NJ Y. Herald
The franking privilege enjoyed by Con-
gress has long been justly inveighed against
by the entire newspaper press of the country.
The system in itself would not be so bad or
so condemnatory, however, were it not that
it leads to such abuses as has drawn upon it
universal odium. In his excellent message to
Congress and to the country President Grant
assures the people of an administration of
economy and retrenchment in all the depart
ments of the Government under his especial
charge. 1t is to be hoped that Congress will
keep step with the Executive in this course of
retrenchment and economy, and that the first
earnest of its good intentions in this regard
will be to abolish the franlSing privilege alto
gether, or institute a reform in the present
system which will render impossible the
frauds upon the Post Office Department, to
which it is now notoriously subject.
The abuse of the privilege has gone so far
that not even the semblance of the autograph
of Representative or Senator is necessary
to frank letters to the most distant parts of
the Union. In Washington not one person
in a thousand ever stamps letter mailed in
the Post Office. 1t is all the same whether
Congress be sitting or not, from the fact that
members while In Washington, by means of
engraved stamps, flood the city with their
autographs, which hold good all the term of
their offices and for years after they are dead
of which there have been instances. Not
only mail bags of letters are thus fraudulently
transmitted through the Post Office, but tons
of Congressional reports and documents and
such heavy matter, that is never read, but
ioh he
great expense and encumbers the mails and
often retards their prompt transmission from
point to point.
Congress, perhaps for want of a little good
advice in the matter, has hitherto persistently
and contumaciously refused to abolish their
privilege of franking letters and Congressional
documents, notwithstanding all the abuses
which we have pointed out as attaching
thereto, and which have never been denied as
existing. Now we propose once more that
the privilege be abolished, but not without
offering substitute in its place. Here it is.
| Let there be law passed granting to MEM
| bers of Congress while engaged in their Con-
| gressional duties postage stamps for all proper
and necessary purposes, the Postmaster-Gene-
| raj to keep record of the amount of stamps
thus contributed by his department, desig-
mating the quantity allowed to each Represen-
| tative and Senator. If Congress is imbued
with any of the political wisdom of General
| Grant, who first in his own administration of
| affairs promises economy and retrenchment
! and recommends the same much needed po-
licy to the Legislative branch of the Govern
ment, it will surely move in the matter and
act at once upon our suggestion. With our
| suggestion the economists and reformers In
Congress can once more direct their efforts
to the removal of the abuses of the franking
privilege The opponents of the change
must be few, as opposition to such just and
economic measure would assuredly bring
down on members the obloquy and odium of
their constituents.
The change which we here propose in the
franking system would embrace all the de-
partments of the Government, civil and
military. The check to an undue and extrava-
CANT use or misappropriation of postage
stamps would lie in the fact that the Post
master General in his annual report to the
President for submission to Congress and the
country would be required to make return
of the amount of stamps supplied to each
Senator and Representative. In the same
way he would designate the amount consumed
by the heads of the various departments, and
thus would be insured net only redress of
the present great abuses of the franking
privilege, but would show the extent to which
the Post Office Department would be entitled
to credit for its share in the performance OF
the great work of government.