National Republican., 1880-09-22
DEFRAUDING THE MAILS.
The Democratic Committee Cheating
Uncle Sam.
What Bursted Package of Democratic
Literature ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Deception Praoticod.
Abusing the FranLinu Privilege.

The democrats both in this and former cam
paigns have INDUCED in much abuse Of their
opponents for taking advantage of the frank
ing privilege to send out campaign docu-
monts, alleging that tho privilege was abused
and unfrankable matter in the shape of cam
paigu documents sent through tho mails. De.
velopments were made at the city postofiics
yesterday which should forever silence all
such talk for tho democratic congressional
committee, which has taken possession Of the
capitol for campaign headquarters, was de-
toctod in what Is believed to have been q sys.
tomato fraud, practcod upon tho postofico
department.. The campaign literature to be
disseminated through the country is brought
to tho postonice, put mp ia canvas bags, fur
nisbed by tho department, to facilitate the dis-
tribution of tho mail matter. The postofcc
officials have bccn in the habit Of trusting to
some extent to the honor of the members OF the
democratic committee, aud believed their
statements that the matter contained in the
bags was frankablc. Yesterday nine bag
fuls of this literature was brought from the
committee rooms and dumped vt the post
Office. This literature was done up in
four-pound packages. BY accident one of
those packages burst open, aud 1t was
thereupon discovered that the matter II con-
ldlnCu WAS Oh u SOIJ WHICH no ONC WOulu ware
attempt TO frank through the mails unless
he relied upon belief that the officials would
not inspect It,. The matter being reported to
Postmaster Anger, he ordered that the bags he
held until moro thorough investigation could
| be made. Tho only matter recognized by
| law as frankable is parts of the Congress
| siOilGl Record" or reports of speeches made
| by congressman in the senate or house. Four
| ffths of tho matter found in tho nine bags
| detained at tho postOtfice consisted of pam
phlcts containing democratic articles pre-
pared for circulation by the committee Tho
| franks used in pruCtcng this deception were
those of Senator Call of Florida and Congress-
man n. Miller of New York. Another similar
| fraud was also brought to light ut the post
office yesterday. A letter was received from
| the postmaster at indianapolis stating that n
| bag Of democratic campaign matter sent from
| Washington had been detained there. The
| fraud in this case was most bare'taced rs no
| attempt had been made even to frank tho
matter. The democratic committee having
given assurance that they would not abuse their
privileges had sent this bag aud probably
others through the mail without postage and
| without franks. AS the officials did not open
the bag here the deception was not dis.
covered till it reached indianapolis.
In this connection it is interesting to state
that another fraud on the mails was detected
about two weeks ago. At that time Hon s.
S. Cox sent to Washington bagful of empty
envelopes, in packages of 500, frlnked in his
name, to be used by the committee in dissem-
mating democratic literature. As such pro-
ceedimg on the part of Mr.. Cox was clearly
q violation of the law, which does not meu'
tion empty envelopes and blank paper AS
frankable matter, the bag WAS and is still
detained. So if the committee had the
benefit of Mr.. Cox's distinguished name tC
save them the expense of postage, he had
| TO do as others would do, and send an
other package by express. There is
penalty fixed of $500 in each cas-,
where an attempt is made to defraud the mail
by sending unofficial matter in official en-
velopes free of postage, and very good case cai
be made against the democratic committee
How far such doceptions rs those described
above have been carried cannot be stated.