Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-09-22
The Alleged Illegal Mail Matter.
WHAT paSrA SrIp L1>-oru

WHAT fUSTMASTER ANGER SAYS.
In the City Post Office department there is a
ton or more of campaign literature sent to be
mailed by the democratic congressional cam
pafgn committee 1t is held by Postmaster
Anger On the ground that the law has been
and is still being violated by the committee
The first suspicion which was awakened that
the malls were being used in violation of law
was the return of package Of democratic
literature from, Newton, Ohio. The package
was unclaimed and was returned TO the office
from which 1t was originally sent. 1t wasunder
the frank OF Senator Wilkinson Call, Of Florida
This package was filed with democratic
speeches delivered on the stump. The law
provides that any speech or excerpt actually
delivered in Congress or any report submitted
TO Congress Is entitled to free transit In the
Eail. Not single document, however, In the
returned unclaimed package was OF this class
the postal authorities say.
Last night. the democratic committee sent ten
large bags OF documents to be mailed to Ohio
ar Indiana. This matter was franked by Sen
ator Call, CoDgr esSmen POindeXter. Dunn, Wal
ter, A. Wood and W. Miller. of N. Y. Some OF
the bags were broken open Ia handling, and In
each was found matter which hal no right to
be sent In the mails free. For instance, ex-
tracts from the democratic campaign textbook
we're found, also large number Of copies OF
Ex-senator IrumbulP5 speech delivered at
Belleviile, IL; quite a number of pam
phlets reviewing General Garfeld's credit
mobiDer record, etc, etc, none of which
are entitled to congressional frank.
All ger says ten tons of documents have been
shipped by the democratic committee, and his
belief is that great deal Of the matter lnailed
had no business to be ranked as free matter.
lie is now consulting the law as TO what should
be done, and meanwhile holds the mail which
has accumulated since his discoveries Colonel
Anger says the republican committee is not
guilty OF the same offenSe, as all matter not
clearly mailable free is sent by that committee
by express.
The following from the Indianapolis Euenin1
Ners is cited as confirming the charges OF Post
master Anger: Saturday morning the demo-
cratic state central committee received, under
the frank of Senator Mcdonald, 5000 copies OF
that part OF the congressional Record that con-
tanned the speech OF Lyman Trumbull, delivered
at Belleville. ILL.,, August 30th, 1850. The mat
ter will be distributed as 1T was received"
Annexed Is fuller statement OF the unmail-
Ter and Albert F. Palmer, delivered at t. a Han
COCK and English meeting in Fanieul hall, Bos-
TOM pamphlet entitled Carried Tries to
Legislate Gen: Hancock out OF Office" docu-
ment entitled mo. IA. on the Electoral Com
mission:" speech delivered by Senator Wal
lace at Norristown, Pa, under the caption THE
Real @ Issue Unionism vs.. sectionalism;" a
Government" Also, one entitled Common
Sense" 1.-The Civil Record OF Major General
Hancock during His Administration in Louis
lana lana m ard Texas" a pamphlet entitled Gar
District" one entitled ''Willful and Wicked
Waste;' others called 1.-The Great Steal, MAS
sacnuSettS ana Rhode nd-D1ScrtminatiOl
Against Foreign-born Citizens" Democratic
Economy and Republican extravaganza
WHAT is SAID AT THE COMMITTEE ROOMS
The officers and employees OF the democratic
c0ngI esSional committee deny that they have
ABUSED the frankiDg privilege. Tae clerks who
put up and send out documents say they have
had instructions to use the utmost care to pre-
vent anything being sent by frank except doc
ume nts that come under the law. Gen a al
Walker, secretary OF the committee, said that
In putting up from fifty to one hundred bags
full OF express matter and large quantities OF
documents to be stamped that package OF
one or the other may have occasionally got
mixed with the fTankable documents, but Il
this had occurred 1t was entirely accidental ::
that In sending out such enormous quantities OF
printed matter it would be almost impossible to
avoid mistakes sometimes. He said he had
been careful to comply with the law governing
the franktDg privilege. and had given rigid In
s'Iuctions to his employees on the subject. THE
STAR reporter was shown large piles of docu-
ments put up for distribution. The matter to
pe sent out by express that to be stamped for
the mail, and that entitled to the frank were
each In separate pile, but 1T was easy to see
that In putting 1t into canvas bags package or
two might get mixed with those to which they
did not properly belong. Gen. Walker did not
consider the charge against the commltt9a
worth replying to, as, he maintained 1t was
only intended for little campaign effect.