New-York tribune., 1874-04-25

country except at pecuniary loss, il not.
however, a matter to which the people in gen.
eral are likely to take exceptions. We occupy
as nation the area Of continent our popu-
lation is widely distributed, and the maibte-
nance of popular Government is undoubtedly
conditioned on the existence of hign degree
Of popular intelligence. The promotion OF
knowledge and the faclitaton of the inter
communication OF ideas and sentiments, by
the interchange Of letters and papers, between
the people of different sections Of our great
territory, have, therefore, from the first been
regarded Us legitimate function OF the Fed
era State, and as one, moreover, in which any
reasonable expenditure was sure TO return an
equivalent and satisfactory compensation.
But in respect to making the mails medium
for the transportation OF merchandise and
nOndesciipt articles, the case is entirely diff
fcrent II may be satisfaction for some one
in Texas to send, and for some one in New
Hampshire to receive frogs; but the general
public have no such deep and abiding interest
in the transaction IA TO make IL expedient for
the Federal Government to transport thes,
animals through the agency of the Post-0fIice,
especially if tho business does not pay. And
that it does not pay is made evident from the
general fact that the POst-0hice Department
is annually becoming more incapable OF meeting
its expenditures, and also from the more spe-
cifc circumstance that while the postage
eight ounces of frog from Texas to Ncw-iiamp-
shire is only four cents, the postage on sixteen
half-0unce letters (Which, as being more i'm
portant to the public than one frog, we have
right to infer, are transported by the Gov
ernment at the minimum paying rate) il
forty EIGHT cents. In tho same category u
complaint with frogs we also include fruit
"trees,v which an enterprisng horticuturist
in New England is advertising far and wide
that he will send TO customers through tho
mails in any number and quantity, and also
bees and beehives, cotton spindles. bolts.
pieces of machinery, t0y-cannon and the Ike,
all of which have recently been received by
the Post Office and transmitted as mailable
matter.
Now, if the exact truth could be arrived at,
we are of the opinion that much oil the disa-
greement between the railroads and the Post
Office in respect to postal cars, and no small
part furthermore of the annual deficit OF tho
Department, would be found to BE- due 20 tho
burdening of the mails by matter which, ac-
cordiDg TO the theory on which the Post
Office has been taken possession of and con-
trolled by the Government, has no shadow or
q claim to be included in the mails at all
And if this assumption be not correct, or II
the practice of carrying matter in the mails
other than what relates to the intercommnnl-
cation of thoughts and intelligence is de-
fensible and proper, what equity is there in
limiting the sphere of postal operations to
frogs and fruit treesf Why not include corn
and cotton. wheat and pork, coal and cord-wood
and in this manner at once solve the vexed
problems of transportation by making tho
Post Office the grand freight forwarding and
distributing agency. in which any little irreg-
ularities arising from the failure of receipts
to meet expenses can be promptly adjusted at
convenient intervals by appropriations from
the National Treasury Either this or tho
prohibition of all mail transportation of mer-
chandise would seem to be the logical alter
native.