Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-02-22
The Fr0nhfny SWindie


writing from Washington, gives an in
terest ing account of the various ways in
which the franking fraSd is pracliced.
congressman seldom refuse, he says, to
frank any article that is presented to
them for that purpose. To see Con-
gressmen frank an ordinary package of
envelopes for some employe of Congress,
Or LOBBY member, is matter of hourly
occurrence during the sessions OF Con-
greSs. Committee clerks are uniformly
authL rized to initiate and use the frank
of the chairman of Committees. We
quote from the correspondence Of the
Blade:
4 clerk in the Interior Department,
who had formerly resided in Ohio, de-
termining to establish collection agen-
CIV here, desired to distribute his bust
ness circular throughout the country.
Unwilling to incur the expense of such
transaction, he presented to a Congress-
man from his own State a box contain
ing 800 envelopes with the modest re-
quest that he would frank them. The
honorable gentlemen very chcerfully
complied with this request, and received
In return the assurance that he would be
favorably mention in the next days
communication of this penny-a-liner.
From that time l have never read in
Washington letter complimentary
notice Of Congressman, whose acts
were not Of marked importance and
value, without revolving in my mind
how many hundred evelOpe he had to
frank to procure 1t.
Most Congressman have score or
more of lady friends, for whose appear
ance in the galleries they watch with
ceaseless vigilance; whom they greet
with courteous bows and bland smiles,
and to whose cards they always respond
with promptness and in person. These
ladies are often about the Capitol, and
at the private rooms of members. They
have hosts of correspondents in every
section of the country, and arc ncrcr
uithOW .trdnked enrolopes.
Again, congressman visiting the de-
partments on business, often leave q
score or more franks for the Use Of the
cleik who pIUHIptly attends to their
wants. Thus the thousands of depart
ment clerks here are almost uniformly
supplied with Congressional franks, be-
ne tn which they conduct their private
correspondence. But the most fruitful
source of the abuse of this privilege is
the system of fac smile Thanking.
Congressman, for few dollars, pro-
cure fac smile stamp, with which
ranking can be performed with ease
and dispatch. These articles are intrus-
ted to the custody of clerks or messen-
gers, who are thus supplied with the
means of perpetrating enormous swim
dies upon the revenues of the Govern
ment
Many persons wonder how franked
envelopes can be procured in such large
quantities. 1t is effected in several
ways. Sometimes it is duplicated and
used without the permission of the own
er. Sometimes envelopes are furnished
and members or their clerks-mOst gen.
orally the latter - are subsidized to
stamp them. When these are presented
in large quantities, fraction of the cost
Of postage is extravagant compensation
for the labor of using the stamp.
Again, members who are more eau
large quantities OF speeches, and then
leave them to be directed by their ire.
spOnsible clerk. 1t requires but little
time for not over scrupulous person
thus engaged to become convinced that
his labOrs W. be attended with no good
result, that very few, if any, of these
prosy speeches Will ever be read, and
having thus reached the - bed rOcllu of
his speculatiOns, he proceeds to care
fully open the envelopes (Which is east
ly done), and remove the speeches.
these he sells for old paper, they can be
readily disposed Of for from 500 to $50
per 1000.
These are some of the methods by
which business firms and lotteries are
supplied with franked envelopes.
a p0in thOnUh tho lavy iG nj ioit IN,
its demands that nc person shall receive
mail matter free of postage, TO- another
person, both Senators and Representa-
tives, daily receive under their own
names letters, books, and even drtic es
Of clothing for other persons-perSons,
too, not connected with them by any
consanguineous or other legal bonds.
In the early part of my experience at
the Capitol, l was requested, by dis
tinguished Representative, to receive
and attend to his mail matter during
his absence Of few weeks. During his
absence there was received package
of unusual size, which, surprising to be
documents for distribution, l promptly
opened. Your readers could scarcely
guess what found. Not package of
newspapers, with fiattering editorial
marked; not vOluminous petition to
Congress, praying for the redress of
some enormous grievance; oh, no but
an elegant lady's coat, beautifully and
richly embroidered, and heavily decked
with beads and buttons. Unfolding
this strange piece of Email matter" /
found an open letter, containing the re-
quest to deliver the coat to, and
Oolige her mother. With serious mis-
givings and ditfidence, | proceeded to
the residence of the lady mentioned,
and presented her with the elegant gar
me1t, with an account of its reception.
After many thanks for my services,
which could not, under the circum-
stances, very fully appreciate, l was in
formed that the honorable member had