Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-07-15

nues already show by anticipation the eff
feet of the reduction of letter postage,
which is to go into effect October l. The
special request stamped envelopes are usu-
ally bought in large quantities, but the fear
of having a lot on hand when the two cent
rate goes into effect, is lettering business
men from buying their usual quantities.
They are ordering as closely as possible.
The result is that the sales of these envel-
opes the quarter ending June 80, show a
falling of as compared with the sales for
the corresponding quarter of last year of
$33, 120.70. This is an absolute decrease
of only about per cent. but relatively
in as much larger decrease, as under ordin-
airy circumstances an increase of 70 or
II per cent would have occurred. The
sales of cent stamps during the last
quarter exceed the sales for the same quar-
ter of the year before little more than
six million stamps, but while this is
an absolute increase it is relatively
a decrease. for the increase would have
been much greater had it not been for the
fact that the three cent stamps will not be
wanted after Oct.1. The sales of both and
cent stamps increased more than II per
cent, but the increase in the sales of the
three cent stamps was only about 81.
What the government will do about re-
deeming stamps after the new rate goes
into effect is undecided. The experience
of the treasury in redeeming internal rev.
enue stamps is being studied by Third AS
ciStapt POCtu,a star GaparaI Hozao Prob
ably the government will redeem IS in the
new 2's if desired. In the case of stamped
envelopes, the envelopes cannot be redeem
ed, but some way may be found for COM
muting the stamps. 1t is no object to the
government to print three cent stamps
and three cent envelopes only to take them
back three months hence, so the postofice
department makes no promises and holds
out no encouragement to the
public. The uniform advice given to
seekers after information is to have as few
three cent stamps and envelopes on hand
when the new rate goes into effect as pos
sible. The government discourages in
every way the use of postage stamps as
currency, but it cannot entirely prevent it
unless it makes it illegal for any person
other than postal officer to sell stamps,
and this it is thought would be a public
Inconvenience. Some years ago when
postmasters were paid by commissions on
the stamps sold, postmasters used to
enhance their salaries by buying every
thing from cigar up to piano with
stamps. That abuse has been stopped,
but the use of stamps as currency still
makes trouble. The postmaster at Dayton,
o., was here to-day seeking light. pub
Usher in the city has 5000 in stamps which
he has received in payment for his
books. He wants to sell them to the
postmaster at par. The postofice
department will redeem them in two-cent
stamps but not in cash, whether the pub
Usher sells these stamps to the local post
master or the public at ninety-five cents
or the dollar, as he threatens to. He affects
the sales of the Dayton postmaster, who is
graded according to the revenues of the
Office. The subject is one of painful in
terest not only to this but to many post
masters, but the department sees no help
for them.
THE EVANS-HORTON SCANDAL.
The most important aspect of the Evans
Horton matter is its relation to national
politics. The explanation of the commits
sioner's singular course in Diminishing a
man who he had reappointed and whom
he processes to be wholly innocent Of the
offenses charged against him, is to be
found in his statement that he called for
Horizons resignation because it was not
fair of the administration to retain him.
Mr.. Horizons principal hacker for the
special agency to which he was appointed
was Gov. Butler. What the governor was
year or two ago and what he may be a
year or two hence does not matter. He
chooses now to profess to be a Democrat.
Mr.. Horizons enemies include many Re-
publicans of influence in his state, and if
any administration wants to keep on good
terms with its own party, with a
view to another term in the White
house, or, at the very least, a
creditable withdrawal from official life, it
can hardly afford to take part with the
Democratic governor of Massachusetts
and against the leading Republicans OF
that state. The president does not care to
incite the Republicans of the Bay state tc
autagonize him next year. The president
had another reason for declining to
immortalize his administration by Mr..
Horizons appointment. Unlike Gen.
Grant, he is very sensitive to public criti-
eism, and is anxious to have no discredita-
BILE or even suspicious appointments made
during his term. Whatever Horizons
merits may be, his friend Butler is not
only a Democrat, but he is chiefly known
in connection with internal revenue mat
tiers as the attorney for the Bushes, lately
acquitted of defrauding the revenue, but
under circumstances that left public senti-
ment convinced that the defendants were
guilty. This threw cloud over Horizons
standing, and though Mr.. Evans 'did not
care to remain in Office after the
experience he has had with the president -
he will not resign; that is not ''the kind OF
a man he is" He consoles himself fol-
being obliged to dismiss Horton by de-
nouncing the newspapers and saying that
the attack on Horton was the most ingeni
ous case of assassination of character thai