The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-04-02
The Postal Outrage.

Whether Congress knew what it was
about when it passed, on the eve of adj
journment, n law doubling the rate of
postage on nearly one-third of the matter
which passes through the mails we can
not tell +; but we have the charity TO be-
lieve that it was done ignorantly. But
even so it was done with criminal care
lessness. The outrage cannot be cor
the public must endure it.
BY this new law the postage on all
third-class matter is doubled. In this
class are included all transient newspa-
pers and pamphlets, all monthly or quar-
terly magazines, books, circulars, en-
cravings, music, samples, seeds, bulbs,
roots, cions, and cuttings. These have
hitherto been sent Mt the cost of one cent
for every two ounces. They will now be
charged twice as much.
Although the new provision affects us
only as we send cut specimen copies,
circulars, and premiums, we feel none
the less indignant for the wrong this in
fiicts so heavily upon publishers of
books and magazines. 1t is Just now
the season when thousands are writing
for seeds and lilies and gladioli for their
gardens. They will be charged Just
double for postage by the dealers, or
the latter will be ruined by the extortion
of the government, against which they
could have made no possible precau-
ton.
The Postoffice Department had not
asked or suggested an increase of rate.
An official report less than month ago
stated that the deficiency in the Post
office Department was not due, as
charged, to the sending of samples
through the mails, and that there was no
occasion for listening to the complaints
OF the express companies on the subject
The Postmaster-G General, we understand,
feels mortified and indignant, rs well he
may.
1t looks, we must confess, very much
as If the express companies, rather than
Congress, had passed this law. We do
not believe that the representatives of
the people knew they had passed it, We
are convinced that the representatives of
the express companies in Washington
knew very well. But we understand
that the rates of postal service are ar
ranged for the convenience of the citi-
zens, not with view to increase the
dividends of the express companies,
whose stock has gone up heavily since
the passage of this law. Their stock was
high before, and the Adams Express
Company, whose officers have the repu-
tation OF having engineered through
Congress this change of rate, had just
declared an extra dividend of twenty per
cent, besides their regular quarterly two
per cent. dividend, and this, too, with
ont trenching on their seven million
dollars of surplus. This is the company
which is doubling the postage for us all.
We are no prophets, but we shall be sur
prised if Congress does not find itself
compelled by the popular voice immedi
ately on its assembling to pass legisla-
ton which will instantly restore to the
mails all such matter as may now be
temporarily diverted to the express COM
panies, even if it does not cut down by
one-half the old postage.
Write to your representative. Ask
him if he voted for this scandalous in
crease of postage rates. Ask him, also,
if, while he doubled your postage, he
voted for the law which restores to him
the privilege of sending his mail for
nothing. Then ask him if he will do his
utmost, on the meeting of Congress, to
repeal both of these odious enactments. -
NeU York Ildependent.