The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-04-23
The Fra,I,;np Privilege.

bill is now pending before the House Oh heP-
resentafives at Washington to allow pnonc ooc"-
nents to be sent free by members "f congress
aud the heads of departments, TO allow papers -
exchange without payment of postage, and 10 az
low subscribers to receive papers free within 1he
comfy in which they printed. THIS Is an riSn'
as far rs 1t goes, but we are among those VINO De-
lieve the party demanding IL and the 0ohereSss
that abolished the franking privilege aia o''e VI
the most foolish il nat wicked things Congress
has ever done. The postofiice department is ine
medium through which thought is exchanged.
1t is an old and true saying, that, Tor every
Thought you part with you hayeten IN IT'S place.
and the nearer all men and women eau have the
right to send letters for nothing the 0ftener VIII
they he sent. The oftener individuals write let
tiers the more intelligence do they possess. As
intelligence among the people of a nation Is ITS
greatest power and security, the nearer postage
is reduced to nothing the mere Infeliieenee wiIl
there be among the people. No matter whether
the pOstoice department is self OF not.
1t is for the people, the poor as well as the rich,
and there good many more poor ones thah
rich
The government should own the telegraph
lines, and messages should be sent so cheap, no
margin should he left for profit. Next to all this
is the franking privilege, formerly enjoyed by
members of Congress and the heads oi depart
ments at Washington. Washington Is the centre
of the mind and culture OF the nation during the
session Of Congress.
The telegraphie reports we get from Washing
ton are of the most mcagre nature. They cannot
be otherwise. There is just enough, however, TO
make us desire to know more of what occnis
There has ever been a world of Thought, a VAT
amount of information, aud very mneh Of neces-
sary knowledge gained by the people by the use
of the franking privilege, which, ever since 1t
was abOlished las been withheld from them
The people cannot afford to buy it; those persons
whose duty it was Formerly TO send without cost
cannot afford to sefd, and he people lose all,
vet their taxes ns less nor is the cost of tue
Pnstoifice Department any less.
The people got Jealous Of the members of Con-
gr.ss, felt they we're not honest, and desired to
| clip their wings In some way or somehow. and
the franking privilege was the thing struck at.
Bnt in striking at that, the people robbed them
| selves and relieved members of Congress OF a vast
deal of labor aud left the people in the dark TO
| large extent about whar they doing.
| The government has gained nothing, the MEM
hers of Congress have lost nothing, hut are re-
| lievet from a vast amount of labor. The people
have lost everything and benfitted nobody.
| IL is about time 10 look at things nationally,
| like men. not 20 off some tangent of reform,
| where reform does not exist Our cOnclu-
sinns are that if nothing better can he obtained,
so much of free postage is given by the bill
| alluded to, should be demanded. But were we
| to dictate we should say, restore the franking
| privilege as of yore. We would say, reduce the
postage to one cent, where it is three, and II
there is deficit in that department, let the gov
| trnment make il good. 1t is much better spent
there than squaudered with wild Indians.-Lear.
| Gail.