National Republican., 1873-02-04
rnr rRANKISl! pRIYILEGE.

II would be the greatest folly for any intel
Digcrt person nt all conversaut ith the ways
Il the capital during Congressional session
10 deny that the frankiug privilege has been
aud Is much abused one. More than this,
II is hard to see how is abuse in future,
should Congress at Its next meeting recon-
Blder its hasty actlon-a very probable event
can be prevented To be sure, the time when
bucOlic Representatives we're In the habit Of
sending their dirty linen home for cleansing
has passed, for now half OF the members OF
Congress would rather be charged with com
plicity In the mobilcr scandal than with such
4 descent to moanness. Stlll the franking
privilege Ia greatly abused whe ther members
20 about with clean or dirty linen. An old
Washington stager no more hesitatcs to
practice on hls VI. C.'s autograph, though IL
ne as twisted as the signature of the United
States Treasurer, than he does to take
whisky straight.
All this is admitted as tho popular impress
sion at least. The question to be considered
in connection with the abolition Of this
privilege Is not whether its abuse Ia so very
great, but whether the people, who are now
really benefited by Its use, will receive In some
Jther way greater beuent through its aboli-
lion. We are quite sure they will not be, be-
cause, In the first place, we hold that the
constituent and Representative, for the most
obvious and best reasons should be allowed
The freost and most extensive communication
with each Othel; and In tho second, that u
Congressman, even were his present allow
Incc doubled, would not receive sufficient
IN n Hun1t4 him N sal fba nnatnl dam nd
If his constituents. Another and still q better
reason Is, that the Post Onlcs Department is,
md long has been, very nearly q self-sustaln-
ing lnstitution--just what and nothing more
than 1t should and was intended to be.
A howl, u continuous howl, sent up by
partisan Journals, and increased in volume
luring every campaign, had more to do with
the passage Of the bill than anything else.
This howl did not come from the people; II
came from journals periodically Journals be-
longing, not TO the rural districts where all
classes are peculiarly benefited by the opera
tions Of the privileges, but to big cities, the
citizens Of which, as a rule, care very little
about public documents, and less about keep
ing their Representatives on the right track
Now, any one at all acquainted with the off,
,ial life Of the average Congressman knows
that tho one from rural district Is on more
intimate relations with his constituents than
his political brothers from the city, and for
that very reason the farmer Is obliged to carry
on far more extensive correspondence.
The rural member must use the greatest
discretion In the distribution Of his allow
lnces Of seeds from the Agricultural Depart
nent, which never gorminate, and books
rom other Departments which are seldom
-ead. But the seed and the books are always
IN demand, nevertheless, simply because II
sosts the member DOthlng-but trouble-to
end them, and the constituent nothing at all
% receive them. So IL 10 with correspondence
though the postage on more than half the
etters received by a mclAber Is ignorautly
paid By the writers.
Most of the country papers, honestly repre-
ienting the public opinion Of their different
'ections, have been opposed to the abolition
II this privilege; and now that 1t has been
1een abolished that opposition is greatly In
'reased. The majority Of them think that
he public documents, which their readers
IRE anxious TO receive, should not be pub.
shed, as they are very likely to remain In
Washington now that franks are no more.
The readiness aud the large vote by which
congress abolished the privilege show that
is members would rather not enjoy II, and
sc would not be at all surprised II they were
.orced by public opinion TO renew that privi.
ege before the expiration of the next session.
| rhe opinion that Its action was hasty ID
rapidly gaining ground.