The New York herald., 1869-01-04
IHE INDUSTRIOUS ABUSES OF THE FRANKING
PRIVALEGE.

To THE EDITOR OF THE CINCINNATI C0MMHRCIAL:--
On my return from New York found note from
friend In Ohio, inclosing slip cut out OF your pa
per Of the 18Th fnst as follows:-
We have no idea what the autograph Of p. Van
W. nave MS ~ N oar ana Mnpa
like to know. 1t Is envelope containing pro-
spectns Of the Columbus crisis. The malls are said
to DO hooded with these favors OF 2. Van Trump
N. @. HAS Mr.. Van Trump, NJ. c., any c0mprehen-
sion that two such words exist as petty swindlingf
are cheating the governments Has he heard that q
radical Congressman IN North Carolina has been In
dcted for this same sort Of robbery OF the United
Waving, Tor the purposes Of this communication,
all objection to the style Of your paragraph proceed
to answer the charge therein made
During the late political campaign In Ohio did
give my frank to the publisher Of the Crisis at his
request, for the purpose Of circulating among the
people private prospectus for said paper; and dd
SO under the honest but mistaken apprehension at
the time that such printed matter was within the
legitimate sphere OF the franking privilege Of men,
Der Of Congress- had, prior to that time never
seen or examined the Franking law. without such
examination, 1 had supp osed. from the common
practice here Of all political parties, for long time
questions Of the public policy OF the country, and
tending TO furnish political Information to the people
In relation to the affairs OF their govern
mont, was proper subject Of the franking
privilege. From what had observed OF the
use the franking privilege. not only before but
SINCE ! have been member OF Congress, that was
the general impression upon my mind both OF lts OBJ
ject and its Limitation. Your paragraph induced
jet lam am now T prsiscy satisfied that t does s% mot
cover such matter nor does It cover 1.-THE OF the
world OF matter sent through the mails during the
late political canvass and for years before by )re-
publican members Of Congress- and republican Ma
tlonal Committees located here In Washington, and
State C0mmittees, under the franks Of republican
members. quote the law TO show how mOnstrous-
ly has been perverted Tor years and how easy u "a
os Sasa @ sas
rule II he snail be careless emo Ugh to adopt one
aud not hunt up and examine the other The 28sth
section OF the act OF Congressso. the 9th OF August
1885,. provides NJ follows -
with D view TO the cheap circulation OF laws OF
Congress, and the debates contributing to the
Interpretation thereof, and TO make free the CON-
between the representative and constitu
present session OF Congress- the Congressional
Globe and Appendix which contains the laws aud
the debates ties thereon ~ rec snail pass rs ee through the
Of Congress provided that nothing herein shall
be construed to authorize the circulation OF the
II will be that II these provisions Of the act Of
1882 were strictly observed, printed matter could
pass through the mails, under the frank Of member
OF Congress- except the Official volumes Of the 'Cun-
gressonai Globe aud Appendix"-not even the DaHv
CODE. rom whose columns the bound volumes OF
Sucn would be strict construction OF the law Of
1904 This would AFFORD o very limited clrcuaiion
among the people, for each member Of the Senate
and House Of Representatives entitled TO only
twenty-nve copies OF the "Congres sonal Glober in
quarto form. There was no change or modincauon OF
this law until 1904 and yet who does not know that
during the intervening period the mails absolutely
groansd - wn ~ ,s ~uer wn@ was
one who should look TO the OF the privilege In
steao Of It's authority under the law, would come
very wide of the mark ~ 10 what were Its proper
limitations. The act Of March 3, 1898, somewhat,
but by no means extensively, enlarged the privi-
be 80 extended 40 senators and Representative n
the Congress Of the United states, including
and all printed matter issued BY authority
OF Congress- and AL speecIes proceedings
matter seat TO themr THUS stands the law 1t this
time Now, IN no spirit OF recrimination, for that Is
not the purpose Of this comInunicati0n-f0r the
isence of one wrong viii not Justify the commission
Of another-but simply to explain my own mistake,
! would simply point you 20 the wholesale system Of
law, In the transmission OF thousands and tens OF
thousands Of outside eloctioneering documents and
capital oI every State In the Union during the late
canvass which had no more connection or afIlnity
with congressional debates and procecdngsr than
the Alcoran has with the CHRISTIANS Bible upon
question OF doctrfnal divinity. one specimen came
my y m ssa a sn@ ~ @
were put up In untold numbers by the employees
of the folding rooms Of the House Of Representatives
and sent broadcast over the land IL did not chal-
tnge iny attention then because did not then know
that II was not authorized by law. had the Same
resulted IN NO PERSONAL
me. 1t did not put Into my pocket the s'frst red
cent" Ibid ana 4 because % M ,hougat the democrat.
then mistakenly supposed TO be right common 20
both. THAT is The whole sum and substance OF the
matter. II the Intention TO do wrong IL the essen
tIa legal and moral ingredient Of the wrong Itself,
then ieel no culpabIty In the matter complained
ness which IL involves. ! certainly would not be
fool enough 70 openly and knowingly violate o
postal law IN the very face AMI under the immc.
date OBSERVATION OF so radical and yigilant
political opponent as the republican Postmaster
y Columbus Policy II not principle, would have
: who know me that have no proclivitles IN that d.
rection. NY reputation a. the Representative OF o
as dear 70 me a. the apple o. my eye, aud shall not
knowingly sacrince IT, let he temptation be what IL
Thus much by way Of personal explanation. Vow.
N the editors Of the Commercial are sincerely dcs
OF correcting these rankng abuses or the many
come up squarely, independently and mpartially TO
20 the work. and not s'strain at rnat and swallow
fsr%sd in ons pe a cssss nHs
intrenchsd forsidcaHtons They viii fnd a. ample
rent to the dullest apprehension that the reality OF
modern American politics - fast approaching that
mark Of one OF her philosophers would be equally
applicable n0w:-
Gus fnsrant villa
II the interest of the Commercial or some OF its
editors, Is identified with any OF the spccnlatlug
projects now or hereafter to be brought before Con-
gfess aud 10 which IL Is pretty well Known that am
0pposed--0r, what In more likely, n some discom-
1ted "obbyn OF railroad or ship canal subsidy mas
become hopeless OF my support, and vrtuously In
dignant AZ my opposition TO his huge swindie-it
may account for my being thus singled out ~ an OBJ
ject OF attack, however innocent my Intention may
have been. II Is enough 10 say that am alike Indif-
ferent 70 their frowns or Establishments. Very re-
spectfully, &c., P. VAN TRUMP.
wHIrBFrsH OvA.--On Saturday last two gentle
men from Massachusetts, who have been engaged
In collecting the eggs OF the whtnsh OF Lake unta-