Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-07-17
THE MANAGEMENT or THE POST OFTICR
DEPARTMENT.

lHb HAhAVkAkNT w THb POsf OfttCE
DEPARTMENT.
There Is no Department Of the Government
that Is more bitterly and fieroely attacked
than the General Post Office. In season and
out Of season the gentlemen who have inau-
gurated what they are pleased to call the
reform movement abuse and denounce Gen
eral Grants pOstmasters." Reading the or
gans Of the copperhcad party, that Is now
endeayoring to steal into power under the
leadership Of IN apostate Republican, aud
the speeches Of the political JudAses who are
endeayoring to disrupt the party that brought
the country safely through the terrible
struggle In which the existence Of the re-
public itsoli trembled in the balance, one
would suppose that the "postmasters" In these
piping days Of peace we're plotting new trea-
son against the nation aud conspirlng to over
turn the free institutions which hundreds and
thousands Of them risked their lives In the
field TO uphold aud defend
The Tribune Is In or pretends 10 be In the
utmost terror that the postmasters arc en-
deavoring to oyertHrn free institutions 10
America. Day after day that journal paints
the most horrible pictures Of plots and
consplracieS which the postmastsrs are said
10 be Matching amidst their mRil-bags and
their letters. 1t was all right the postmAs-
tiers were very proper persons As long as they
acted As 30 many canvassers for Mr.. Greeley's
weekly journal, but now that they busy them
selves no more In Talslng Tribune clubs and
selling Tribune almRnacs and Distributing
Mr.. Greeley's full-moon pictures, The dIstln-
guished candidate for the Presidency on the
Democratic-rebel ticket sees In them q dos
perate set Of people, a band OF political
ogres, who are guilty Of all manner Of In
iquity, who neglect their business and use
. their positions TO advance the fortunes of
Gen. Grants administration.
There Is no Department OF the Government
that as we said, has been more cruelty aud
toully slandered. Il Is the boast Of England
that her poet Office Is the best managed Instl-
tuition in the world, perfect In all It's details,
complete and thorough in all its branches.
We happen to have some knowledge Of the
British postal service as we'll as of our own.
aud from a careful study Of both institutions
we have come TO the conclusion that, when
the greater extent Of territory aud several
other important points OF difference arc
taken into consideration and due allowance
made for them, our own service Is Infinitely
superior and more perfect. The General
Post Office of the United States Is to-day a
model institution 10 every way. In every de-
partment 1t moves with the precision OF ma
chinery, and Is in every respect the most
faithful and efficient public servant that the
people have. It's business annually increases
in greater ratio than that Of any other
branch OF the Government Day by day Il
comes closer to the people, and is more d.
rectly under their supervision than any other
department Of the public service.
But ii Is In the financial ma nagement of
the Post ONCE Department that Its chief aud
principal excellence Is made manifest. During
the last three years It's receipts from postage
and money-ordcr funds have amounted 10 the
enormous sun OF sl7s, 76s, 1886. The dis.
bursemenIs have amounted 10 precisely the
same sum- In other words, 1t has done credit
business In three years amounting TO nearly
Que hundred and eighty millions Of dollars
with thirty thousand customers Thousands
and thousands Of miles apart, scattered ali
over the Union from Maine TO Florida and
from the Atlantic to the Pacific In the three
years that have passed the total loss to the
Government by deiAlcAtlons and so forth In
thislmmense business has been only 50 & 3l6. 40
or, In round numbers, about $50, 900 per
Annum In business Of go, 900, 900. A fur
ther analysis shows that the percentage of
loss amounts 10 exactly Onc-tWentleth OF one
per cent Il Is even less than that, for OF the
SOS 900 lost lhrnuph dIahnnestv ara nh 49,,