The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-09
EnE kaAtKlna pnlY1LEsE.
Id QUINN to Ae AboIIahed.

~ Ouknt 10 no AuOItenoh Il II
We copy the following from the 81.
Louis Democrat, q Republican paper,
endorse 1t throughout, and commend
II 10 West Virginia Representatives aud
Senators In Congress;
Secretary Creawell, we fear, 10 going
10 make himself dreadfnlly unpopular.
They say that he will recommend Abo-
lltlon OF the ranking privilege. We
can Imagine the SILVER Of rage with
which this BIT OF news will be received
by those worthless who load down the
malls with personal or partisan busI-
ness. II will not be amazing II Il Ia
discovered, pretty soon, that Creswell
10 dlsloyAl, because he % trying 10 pre-.
vent the free distrlbnLlon OF RepublI-
can campaign documents. Now, we do
not know Of any reason why Republl.
can congressman should have free use
OF the mail 10 distribute their speeches,
when Republican editors do not have
free use OF the mall to distribute their
papers. The speeches are not read, and
the papers are. Moreover there are
Democratic Congressman, who are
about as active In sending lies all over
the country at public expense as any.
body can be In chasing them with the
truth. In party point OF view this
business Of frRnklng 10 an exploded
Idea. The newspaper has become the
power through which facts can best be
calculated. Speeches In printed form,
sometimes written by sharp Bohe-
mians, at 30 much q speech, never de.
liveTed ut all, aud printed at 90 much
thousand, only serve In most cases
to ,delude constituents with the idea
that their representative ls q smart fel.
low.
Also, It is said, the member must
ave free communication with his con.
CANNON. Any public business that
cannot AFFORD TO pay three cents post
age, must be very private business In.
deed. People who want to bore their
representatives about oihcea, and to
send cart loads OF recommendation
and papers, ought 70 pay double post.
age on every letter Of II. People who
have any real and legitimate business
at Washington can afford three cents,
or else the business Is not worth the
time spent In reading the letter.
But the member must be able TO
write freely to his constItuents.' On
the contrary, It would be u good thing
II . member could be absolutely pro.
htbited from foollng away the public
time and money In planting letters all
over over his district, hoping that they
Will sprout In ballots at the next con-
vention. We send men 10 Washington
to make laws, and we do not believe
they should be encouraged In spending
all their time In trying to run things
In my district or State Things will
run better II lot alone more.
But Officers Of departments must
have free use Of the malls for trans
mission Of reports and documents.' In
most cases, yes But that can be reach.
ed by supplying 10 the proper officers,
In the proper quantity, stamps for that
purpose only, which shall be worthless
except when covering documents from
or to certain officials. The whole bust.
ness OF reports and documents, how
ever, Is absurdly overdone, and could
be vastly simpllled aud Abbreviated
with advantage TO the department and
to the officials.
No, this franklng privilege ls OF all
nulsRnces and swlndles one OF the
strangast to be tolerated In free ooun.
try. There Is no reason under the sun
why Democrat should help TO pay for
distributing Republican speeches over
the country, or NICE versa. There is no
reason under the san why Jones, who
has been elected TO Congress, should be
permitted TO move hlslibrary to or from
Washington at pleasure In the mail
bags, or 70 send packages Of bis ranked
envelopes TO friends 10 be used when
IatF hos I
private business. There Is no reason
why members OF Congress and public
officials should BIO deprived OF that
| proper protection against letter writ.
Ing bores. which the cost OF a three cent
stamp gives to ordinary men. Be the
bore never 80 horribly porous, he will
not write more than eight or ten letters
q day to men II he has to pay for them.
Good! Mr.. Creswell, you are on the
right track. As Grant said to Sheridan,
Push thIngs!'