Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-12-16
The Franking Privilege.

move has been ma lie, thus early in the ses-
sion, towar,s aLoishiag the franking privilege.
II will be seen by the list Of votes that our Con-
gresham, Hon. L. D. PECK, supported that
measure.
This move we deem to be good one, not for
the reason that theprivilege is OF itself absolute
" wrong, but because OF the enormous frauds
which are perpetrated on the nation by its abuse.
There are, unquestionpbly, times in which
that privilege may be legitimaieiy exercised so
as to benefit the public, but the opposite rule
now prevails to that exts Mt so that the thing has
bect me perfect imposition and a nuisance. Ii
is indeed ma ter to be desired that the sugges-
tien of the Post Master General for its abolition,
be acted on, and thus one step in advance may
be taken by the party in the. way of reform and
OF economy.
II is we'll known fact that documents of all
kinds, relating, generally, to matters of private
business and of speculation, are circulated by
thousands under the frank OF members Of the
United States Senate, and Of the House. In that
line noclass Ct men have more fully availed
themselves Of this privilege, nor have any more
freely abused it than the protectonist leaders in
the existing Congress.
few days since We received bulky pamph-
le. IN Ter the frank Of that notorious irunmonger
d ]. MoRELL, of the John town Iron Works.
Tho work thus disseminated through the Post
Office, comprised reprint of an English work in
fIvor Of probibi.itory tariff, together with q
speech delivered at Indianapolis by the Secre-
tasy of the National Woolsu Association, Mr
HAYES.
While condcmning and aspersing the motives
Of Revenue Reformcrs, who circulate documents
Substantive Of their views, at their ouen cost the
ProteciOniSts, to accomplish their selfish pur-
poses, net.only plund-r the people by means Of
au indirect system of taxation, but they also rob
the Postal Department through the medium Of
the franking privilege. With such bonus from
the public purse we may not feel surprised at
the desperate manner in which they hang on TO
it. Truly, as affirmed by the New York r. iBme,
the national tariff is system Of benfcence to
the interests receiving its bounty. Such public
benfcence, however; is all on one side. 1t talks
turkey to such m,n as MoRELL, MCCARTHY and
few others of that stripe, but takes precious
care not to talk turkey to the people who are
taxed in order to supply them with that turkey.
The defeat of MoRELL and others of that class
in the late Congressional contest is simply an
act of fretribution which should be felt by al
luch public pluuderers. The removal of such
rubbish from the Legislative Halls of the nation
is only the work of time, and we have the utmost
confidence, both as to the ability and the will o
the Republican aa'ty to accomplish it. True, il
is an arduous work, not unlike that performed
~by Hercules in cleansing the Augean stables
but ho ring accomplished the major part Of the
work, by the abolition of slavery, the Republi
cans are competent to perform the minor work
OF lbolising that unjust system which taxes The
masses of people for the benefit Of feS special
interests.