Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-04-08
The New Postage Law.

The increase uf postage al third class
mart matter. has hep, large number Of
newspapers in state OF frantic >codins
ever since the Adjournment OF Congress
Ihcv r.ve steven a. .r>i,,entiy to excite
public indignation against IL. ~ 1t il were
a violation 81! m5gat rtgr1 Itself The
N.ua.or VII, offered tie amendment pro-
1.3H- for the increase. has been most
l,r>.~tcui.y abused. a, i DE lad sacrificed
'hc ..h,r'ie- OF the people.
MS j. aI wrong, fer there is much that
cau lc sad 80 favor OF The increase. and
veta5ak The people Vii sustain it. The
Pc, oM.e pepastmcu, vs., established
ter The transmission Of intelligence. AMI it
.> i.o larf 81 tine Govcrnne4j'- duty 10 Do
more. Even ms j. not really = proper
naciiou OF Government. though Govern.
u-Ht> have very generally assumed IT,
N.ta The consent Of the people on account
Of Tie greater convenience. TIE +. =
Oiiiec should however be sclt-sustaiuiu.
Those making use OF 1t, should pay enough
10 support i. 20 HAT Government need not
take the peoples taxes for that purpose
Il Is NOT just that 4 laboring man who per
haps does not write or receive one letter q
year. should be taxed TO pay for the carry
ing Of letters written by lawyer who
sends many hundreds. Il may be trihe
that the laborer has to pay. but the taking
cent unjustly from the Taxpayer j. a.
great wrong in degree a the taking Of
dollars. |; Is no answer 20 say that the
poor man pays but few taxes for under
our system of indirect taxation, every man
who consumes. pays taxes.
Il i a. unjust 10 tax the people for the
benefit Of tie letter writers. a. it would be
10 tax them FOR the benefit of the ex-slave
holders. or any other special class II
letter writer wants his letter carried he
ought 10 pay the whole cost of carriage.
and be grateful tina; he don't have 10 nav
any profit. The rates of postage should
he fixed al just the rate. that will pay the
expenses, neither higher nor lower Tho
same results viii follow IN the Postal a.
in other business. Low rates will Increase
the business; high rates VIII diminish it.
bur the expenses also vary with the rate,
and viii not permit them TO 20 below
certain point.
Some l.,t.e time ago the list OF mailable
matter was greatly extended. and all
merchandise not iuiuriou, 10 the pouchc,
and not weighing over four lb, was per-
united TO 20 through the mails The
writer thinks this VA, uuwisc. aud 4
stretch Of government power. The ready
transmission OF Intelligence does not re-
quire that the Government should under
take TO carry dry good, from Boston to
Ellsworth a. il la, been DONG for some
Tine. Ii the Government does not see tit
20 into the business OF tr.e.rapbing. j,
ogght MOI 10 undertake. To do an Exp,...s
business. Hg. % tire Government does
undertake ,4e business. +. ou.etl, 10 MAKE
pay. l. ought not TO do j, At a los. aud
CAL upon taxpayers who never have
bundle of l~y goods come 70 Them ,,nay
the deficit.
i; j. sorry lac; that The G,yernp.nr
ht
mails have increased immensely in buIL
and weight. and the expense Of carr,,,,s,
and sorting have Leeu greatly, increased
Il j. estimated thar i. east. tn. f.,ror,,-
meut i dollar and over ia c.,-r,. g., ,.,,,.i,..
from New York to Arizona. on which il
gets postage of six cents. The defci, in
the Postal Department la, been Increasing
from year TO year. ami The, peoples taxes
have gone TO pay the losses. There /. M
show Of Justice ia this. II the citfzar ~
Arizona wants package al merchandise
from New York. 1T him par tie co.t of
transportation him>elf-aud not ask the
The best remedy for this Injustice. would
have been 10 prohibit everything but let
tiers, papers, and circulars from passing
through the mails. This would have cut
tie expenses down. aud brought, the De-
p4rtmeut back TO 1t, legitimate business
Il that could not De done. the next best
remedy was 10 increase thu price Donl,-
ling the price will either increase the
receipts or diminish the weight and ,jz.
Ut the mails 10 be carried. II il prevents
the carriage of merchandise in the govern
ment mails it viii do good thing. 1t
VIII take away some of the convenience.
Of those who have been wont to use the
mails for transportation of their goods.
but they have enjoyed those convenences
at the expense OF the large majority who
had no occasion 10 use the mails for such
purposes, and ought TO enjoy them no
longer
We are aware that doubling he postage
on transient newspapers from one to two
cents mas been the particular thing de-