New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-16

ate. and Mr. Bayard spoke against the three
per cent limit to the new bonds.
wRoNGING THE GOVERNMENT.
ABUSES OF THE FRANKrNG PRIVILEGE BY POLITICAL
MASAGFRs-How THE GOVERNMENT PAYS FOR
PATTY woRE-sUGGEsTED REMEDIES
--'.. BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON Feb 14.-"Has your committee
nearly finished its investigation into the alleged
abuses of the franking privileeep asked TRIBUNE
correspondent Of member Of the Special Committee
Of the House appointed to investigate the subject
mentioned.
.Yes.n was the reply, &" I think we shall finish the
taking of testimony this week and shall be able to
make our report to the House next week. and
I think that we shall be able to formulate
some recommendations for reform which Will de-
serve attention There Is no evidence to show tnat
either the National Committee or the Coneres
sional Committee of the Republican party sent
ont a single document under frank which was not
frsnkable. These committees spent more than
$4,000 for postage and expressage on non-frank-
able documents. The two Democratic committees
did not spend one-fourth as much for the same pur-
pose.
I'VE have found no evidence that any Congress
man or Senator belonging to either political party
either authorized was privy to any improper use
of his frank. Three of the regular employees OF the
Democratic Congressional Committee, however test-
fed that they obedience to the Instructions OF the
manager of that committee lwho was not Con-
gressman) did put up and send under frank a great
many packages of unfrankable documents The
outside documents in these packages We're
parts of The Congressional Record While
the bulk OF the packages was COM
nosed of unfrankable matter. On the other
hand. the manager of the Democratic Committee
swore poiut-blank that he never gave any such or
ders "A his employees testify that they received from
him and obsyed He also brought forward a num-
ber of witnesses who that they never knew OF
his giving the alleged instructions VI course TINS
testimony is of very little account"
"Wbat is the nature of the recommendations
which the committee will probably maker asked
the correspondent.
"In the frat place we do not believe that 1t was
intended by the law which allows Congressman
to send public documents through the mail to his
constituents that political committees should be al
lowed to avail themselves of this privilege.
"In the recent political campaign the committeesof
the several parties sent out vast Numbers OF political
documents aud franks. The number of documents
thus sent from washington last summer has been
variously estimated at from 4O.OOO.OOO to
OOOO. 900. One or two hundred clerks about the
Captol and at the headquarters of the committees
were employed for weeks in writing the names OF
Conpressmen on the blank envelopes to be used for
the purpose mentioned. l think many of the Con-
gressmen authorized the use OF their
names, but some OF them did not
At the Democratic headquarters the clerks
were instructed to select short names IKE B. q
Cox 'P. Dunn T. r. Cobb etc. One clerk
s,xore that he wrote the name of T. r. Cobb on
90 OOt, ENVELOPES Again, we finn that all these en-
yeopes wrapping paper, twne. etc., were furnished
a, the expense of the Government, and a large
force of persons was employed for several months i'll
the CapitoI in folding and wrapping documents for
botb n,litcal parties and paid by the Govern
ment to do this OF this practice is not eX-
actlv an abuse of the franking privilege. but it
voud not exist except for the loose construction OF
the Franking law"
what other abuses have the Committee dis
coveredp
A the law now stands any package labelled Pub
Doc, and franked goes through the mails free. 1t
NAV be bermetcally sealed so that no Post Office
official can examine it to ascertain whether IL Is
pnbIic document or not. The law ought to require
that such documents saa namiee ie The conept
Another subject which greatly needs attentlon
is that of the envelopes in which the 0fhcia cor
are transmitted These envelopes have an official
heading and the penalty for using them ior private
correspondence printed upon them. ANY loD printer
law. Tbey 60 through the mails under seal. aud no
post master can tell whether tho contents are of
an official or a private nature. These official EN-
velop,s are scattered loosely about all the depart
meuts aud anybody can obtain them: AS matter
OF fact, the letter-carrlers In Washington rspor;
that thew collect great numbers OF these official
1iyeIopes and their contents from the lamppost
letter-6oxes 1t is altogether probable that these
innronerlv used But If they were opened and their
Contents were found of non-oflcial nature, there
would be no clew to the offender unless his name or
address was found inside. The committee will
probably recommend the use of distinctive paper
ior the free official envelopes of the de-
partments, and will further recommend that
each department. be required TO imprint It's
own stamp, with the date of mailing, upon every
official communication which is mailed in the de- de-
partrnent. separate stamp can" be prOVlded ior
each division or bureau and placed i'll the charge OF
some designated person, who shall be held resp0n-
sblp for its proper use. These regulations. we be-
heye would soon eradicate al abuse which there IL
reason to believe exists to an extent greater than
many people imagine"