The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-08-06
TIE pOSr1GE onESfLON.

Whether the resort must he to a reduction |
OF rates, or, as has been sensibly suggested, |
to an increase in the service, one thing is |
certain, that the intelligent American people !
will never willingly see the Post Office De-
partment made a source of revenue to the |
Government by the creation OF a surplus
Such was never the design of its institution |
with us, whatever false ideas on the subject |
may have once prevailed in monarchical |
Europe. The Government was allowed TO
take a stringent monopoly of the carriage Of
mail matter, protected by penal laws, not in
the least as a means Of taxation, Cfor " the
"power to tax involves the power TO
destroy, - but because IL was expected that
the Government would give the most equablo
and universal diffusion Of the benefits Of a
free interchange of ideas. Besides, ii is
well understood that the deficit which has so
long existed was entirely due to the Western
service, where the Government is carrying,
for the benefit of our hardy pioneers, letters
and newspapers over long and costly routes
at the same rates as over the short and inn
mensely profitable trunk lines between here
and New York, for example. 1t has never
seemed exactly fair to tax those who eS-
change letters in the East for the mail SER
vice extended into the West for the common
benefit of the whole country. II may even
be queried whether there should not be al
ways deficit left to be paid out of the gem
eral Treasury as long as such an enormous
| L,ltv Ia ratn E,ru m nj
service respectively east and west of the
Mississippi River. If the accounts of the
two regions were kept separately the reason
of what we mean would appear more clearly
When our country is anything like equally
settled up, say with ninety million people,
it is difficult to set bounds to the reduction
that may lie made in the postal rates, or the
profits which will otherwise accrue from the
service, unless made much more liberal aud
efficient than it is under existing laws
Even now we doubt whether an accel-
Grafton of routes, an increase in the
promptness of delivery in cities, together
with more living salaries to carriers and other
employees, he not the proceeding most in
order. Postal rates are now so minute that
a few pennies off would scarcely be felt ex-
cept by those with very heavy mails to
despatch, and who are generally best able
to bear the burden. Even these would in
most cases he more gratifed by increased
conveniences and attention shown to their
mail than 10y saving few dollars or even
hundred dollars in the year. Speaking for
newspaper publishers, we think we may say
that if increased security, accuracy, and
speed can be secured in the transmission OF
second and third class matter to and from
their offices (and this applies to the public
also) they will cheerfully pay the present
rates as a matter of insurance to this end
rather than have n reduction or even entire
+, remission. A newspaper is often as impor.
tant to sender or recipient as letter, aud il
is scarcely fair that they should have TO pay
&, letter postage in order to prevent its destruc
ton or embezzlement in transitu by some un
. fit or untaught custodian.