Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-02-27
End Of the E-ranking Privilege.


This venable abuse, solong denounc-
ed by honest men, is at last actually
doomed. The House has concurred
with the Senate in abolishing it. 1t
vii! expire on the LIST of July, 1873.
It's death will almost be worth cele-
brating. We had almost begun to
dispare Of ever seeing the end Of this
gross abuse, Originating, cightyone
wears ago, in a simble purpose to teEc
fit, not members Of Congress alone.
but their constituents rs WELL this pri
vilcge has grown in later years to the
shape and character OF a monStrous
abuse. 1t had long numbered the
mails with useless and eiletc matter,
sought by nobody, and now it has
become q gigantic engine Of party
electioncering. Especially during the
last three or four presidential elections,
and more emphatically in that OF last
year, the franking privilege was mon
strously abused. The ranking sigma
ture Of certain radical members Of Con
gress wonld be engraved and printed,
by the thousand, ON all sorts of enye.
lopes, for letters, and ior partisan cleo
pioneering documents, and also for
great packages. The mails were over
loaded with this partisan stuff, sent
free under cover Of the franking pri-
vilege,-though the law never con
templated and does not in fact per
nit, any such forged use OF the pri-
vilege. Day after day there would be
actual ear l0ads Of this electoncering
stuff--all sent off from Washington
and New York, at the peoples cx-
pcnse,--not paying a cent Of postage.
Not only this, but large numbers OF
departments clerks, whose salaries
are paid for out Of the taxes Of men
Of all parties, and who are protessedly
employed to do the work Of the GOV
ernment, not Of any political party
were kept busy, during large part
ing, directing, and mailing these party
electioneering documents which were
daily sent off BY car-loods. The mon
ey OF the treasury was perverted tt
party uses; considerable portions Of
the national Capitol, and other public
buildings, were for months devoted
openly and unblushingly to this party
service; tens of thousands of dollars
ofthe peoples taxes were Illegally de
voted to the same partisan service
and the mails were overloaded, and
The postal service interfered with, by
this shameful modern abuse Of the
ancient privilege which isnow abolish
ed, 1t was high time to end it.
The bill seems to sweep away The
privilege entirely-not from members
Of Congress alone, but from the Presi.
dent and all government officials. IT
is to be regretted that Senator Ham
Inns proposition, to amend the bill by
reducing and limiting the amount OF
the public printing, was not adopted.
Without such reduction, much less
can be accomplished in the way of
economy by passing this billto abolish
the franking privilege 1t would seem
to follow, if the franking privilege is
TO be abolished, that the printing OF
hundreds of thousands of Congress
sional books and documents should
also cease for, if these cannot be dis
tributed, why print more than enough
for members? Iii other words why
not cut off 50 per cent. of this useless
expense The government printing
establishment" new creation, has
sprung up suddenly to astounding pro-
Notwithstanding faster than any of
the other wens that have developed
themselves, since the radical charge in
the patients system, upon the body
polite. This one great establishment
already costs the people millions of
dollars, every year; two thirds of
which cost brings them no correspond
ing benefit --no benefit Whatever in
fact.