Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18
The Penalty Enyeiope.


Thus, where the single system OF the convenient
penalty envelope Is al that should be required
for public officers well private citizens should
pay their private poStlge-we are to have three
systemS-the o1lous frankins privilege, the pen
atty envelope, and the worse than useless special
stamps AMI stamped envelopes
In this connection we publish what ex-senator
Hamin says In Il letter to his friend Horatie King,
under date OF 18th February last. 1t was through
Mr. Hamln'S inStrumentll!ty, to great extent,
that the penalty envelope act was passed, and 1t
was the purpose OF that act to substitute the PEN
atty envelope for the special Official stamps and
stamped envelopes, which the Senate now
strangely say should not be done away with This
was clearly shown BY letter OF his published in
January last; yet the lite Attorney General gave
an opinion which would limit the use OF the
penalty envelope To the executive departments
alone In this city, whereas it was the intention OF
the law that they should be used generally, not
only by the executive departments, but by their
subordinate offices throughout the United States.
Neither the President OF the United states nor
the POStm tster General has confOrmei to the
Attorney Generals opinion, but they have steadily
carried out the law. 1t Is to the objections OF the
Department OF Justice that Mr.. Hlnlin refers
when he says:
81 Will say that II the department will be one
half Industrious in learning the intent and
meaning OF the law as they critical in its con-
structiOn, there would b. difficulty in carrying
carry out the Inv it means and intends, rs that
which has been used to OhstrucU it,"
By all means let Tie House Insist on It's resolution
that the penalty envelope alone shall be used by the
executive departments Of the government for all
Official null mltter. The stamps are nothing but
useless expense, besides being much more Liable
to abuse than the penalty envelope, on which the
penalty of three hundred dollars for its misuse Is
alwaye plainly stated-an excellent safeguard.
BY reference to the debate which took place
Thursday this subject, it Will be seen that the
objections to prohibiting the of special postage
stamps, and requiring all ofticill mail matter of
the executive departments to be sent In penalty
envelopes, We're three First, that the penalty en-
velopeS are not large enough To contain some OF
the packages required to be transmitted Second,
that special stamps are necessary in the deplrt-
mentS 70 pay the postage on registered letters and
on letters that come only partly prepaid. Third,
that the Attorney General has decided that very
large number of public officers, under the law,
not permitted to use penalty envelopes at all
Now, the first, and what appeared TO be the most
serious, objection may be removed by single re-
mark Nd matter what may be the size of the
package, the address and official endorsement
may be either written, or printed on slip, as is
often now DONE and D aSted on the envelope or
wrapper thereof.
As TO the second objection, 1t Is true that the
special stamps are used TO pay the registry fee
Well as the postage letters received insult
nciently prepaid. But what is gained by having
special stamp for these purposes? Why not go
direct and use the ordinary postage stamps? They
cost no more, Ii as much; and the account may be
as easily kept In one case as the other Indeed it
might all como under the head OF contingent ex-
penSeS The ordinary Stlmp5 are far preferable,
too for the important reason that they be used
70 pay the postage on letters destined for foreign
countries, and Tor this reason pension agents who
have to send many letters beyond the bounds Of
fafa have f,I aIIOx for
postage. The special official stamps cannot be 50
used except on letters to Canada.
The third objection should be effectually senced
by the passage OF the section stricken out OF the
House bill b. che Senate but with slight modfica-
tons to allow the departments to keep a postage
account for registered matter. letters received not
fully prepaid. and for letters sent to foreign
tries; and also to allow of the InclosIng OF penalty
envelopes to any persons for return answers
which only concern the government
Technically, no doubt General Ayres did his
duty, as he understood IL, and nothing more In
seeing that Sergeant Mason got of to the Albany
pen1tentiary without unnecessary delay; but for
all that the people OF the United States entertain
the notion that there was need OF the haste
which was shown, and that on the whole the
Offending soldier has been altogether too harshly
dealt with throughout. This feeling OF sympathy
In connection with the well founded objections to
courts m2rti Il during times OF peace to try Often
ceS against the civil laws, viii, undoubtedly, lead
70 pretty careful review OF Mason'S case at an
early day, and 1t would not be surprising If he
should finally escape punishment entirely on
account OF fatal irregularities which will yet be
made manifest However this may be, 1t Is Ger
tain that an active sympathetic sentiment is
growing In the public mind, based largely upon
what IS universally considered the undue severity
OF the sentence AMI especially upon that clause OF
IL which deprlve5 the unfortunate family OF the
prisoner % u measure OF support by Withholding
all pay or allowances due or ID become due 10 him
This part OF the punishment IS regarded not only
as totally uncalied for, but somewhat In the
nature OF petty persecution, since IL falls upon
his family rather than on the head OF the prisoner.
That tn country is likely To step forward and
place the wife AMI children above want is no ex-
cuSe for the harsh treatment which renders such
action necessary.
The close connection between defective drainage
and the prevalence OF malignant disease Is shown
by the report OF DIR. c. w. Chancellor on the late
diphtherit epidemic at Frederick City, Maryland
The map whicl, accompanies his report shows
that The diss1Se was most malignant In those To-
calities where the appliances for removing filth
were most imperfect In most Instances the out
break OF The disease Was traced to some
specific cause, AMI nearly always de-
fectiYe drainage found to be at
the bottom OF the trouble Other evils contributed
proper system or sewerage appears to have been
the primary cause As there are few sewers and
Ettle or no surface drainage In Frederick, the
sewage necessarily either found It's Way into the
sell or evaporated from the surface.
Is the dog wagging the tail Is the tail waggfng
She dog? This inquiry has puzzled a good many
people from time TO time and it begins To look now
as though the Congressional committee engaged
N investigating Mr.. Shipherd and his dongs will
De asking 1t before they get through with the bust
ness. Outsiders are already firing off the conun-
drum ct each other, and Mr. Shepherds failure to
show up In the committee room to-day as pcr CON-
tract, has given the irreyerent inquiry q new
impetus and a fresh interest
The one thing which all Indian tribes insist
upon Is that their chiIiren shall be taught to
sleep with tie mouth shut This Is n precaution
which might well De adopted BY civilized races,
as wen on sanitary accounts as to prevent sncr-
Ing. IL would be good idea to follow the
example OF the Indians q little farther and teach
The Importance Of keeping the mouth shut while
awake, also.