North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-01-05

IL Is 10 DC nOpeu tDuL congress Will act
promptly and efficiently in abolishing the
ranking privilege. 1t always has been an
incubus and nuisance to the post office
department as we'll as to the members of
Congress. Relieve the department of the
heavy mails and increased transportation
imposed upon it and it would become u
self,paying institution. What are mems
bers of Congress waiting for in this mat
ter? The subject has been discussed and
decided on by the people years ago. Every
member knows how to vote and should be
ready to vote. Let not the desire to cher
ish an expensive nuisance for personal
benefit prevent any member from acting
ut once on this subject. The president is
right, the Postmaster General is right
are the members Of Congress If they
were, it would not take twentytfour hours
| to have the bill through both branches OF
Congress.
Besides the immense saving to the
Postofice Department in the matter of
mail service, transportation, &C., there
would be an immense saving in messen-
gers, '.iranking clerks paper for envel.
opes, stationery, &c. This would be saved
to some one, and mostly to the United
States Treasury. If members wish to
send any of their sps eches. let them pay
for their own ''glory.' Abolish the
franking privilege, and We should not see
cart loads of trash in the shape of ''Bun-
combe' speeches and poor reports loading
down and impeding the prompt transpor-
tation of proper mail matter. Abolish
the ranking privilege and members of
Congress would be reliesed in many cases
of hiring reporters to complete their
speeches when printed in pamphlet
FORM for the information (?) Of their COM
stituents. The people get the best infor-
| nation Of the ability and character OF
their representatives through the public
press, and not one in hundred of the
speeches plastered over Congressional
District are read by those receiving them.
Asa general thing these speeches contain
nothing new, and are only re-hash oil
some old material, and are only uttered
or "permitted to be printed without be.
ing uttered, for the glorifc1tion of some
member who never ''shone' in Congress
or anywhere else.
The ranking privilege induces the
printing of large numbers of WORTHLESS.
documents and consequent heavy tax
upon the national treasury, Tor it is O
notorious fact that many members Of
Congress consider their whole duty nearly
done to their constituents If they car
send some report on something to some Of
their more prominent constituents, "semi
occasionally"
The whole thing is burden to the
Postofice Department, the national Treas
ury and to the people. It induces extrav.
agant printing Of worthless trash to sup
ply useless material for franking. II is a
tax on the national treasury for additional
stationery, additional employees in several
departments. 1t is a tax on the Postoiice
Department, of millions of dollars for the
most useless privilege" that was ever
allowed. If we want any service Of the
Postofice Department we have to pay for
it. If we want to correspond with our
members of Congress We are willing to
pay for it. If they want to write to their
constituents let them pay for it. If they
want to get up correspondence about the
next campaign" or their IRE election y
let them pay for it. Let not our members
Of Congress 80 to sleep over this subject.