New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-16
MR.. vILlSS FORTHCOMING Defence

Mr. VIL1S'S FORTHCOMING DEFENCE.
Postmaste en- General Villas promises in his an
nual rcport fully to discuss his conduct in set
ting mt naught the act of the last Congress APP
propriating funds for the foreign postal service
and authorizing him to contract with American
companies on the basis of its appropriations A
statement has been printed in THE TRIBUNE
briefly detailing the features OF his defence
We are satisfied that it covers about all thc
arguments ne expects to make or can make. IL
certainlv covers all the points he has yet sng-
gcstcd to the steamship companies as his rea %
SONS for dcfy;ng the law and .demOrallzlng inc
service.
He will show il is said, that n concerted
effort was made by the companies to coerce MS
action and it will be Just like the weak, AFRO
gant ami narrow minded person that Mr.. ' Has
has shown himself to be, to waste QuIIcS OF
foolscap and amuSc Congress with this sort oil
petty irrcyelant complaint. True or false ah"
the companies in their published circulars thor
ourhly disposed of it, it is entirely foreign 10
the question that he needs to discuss. 1t l. his
business to prove that he has done right not
that thev have done wrong. He will also show
that his o1er of the sea and inland postage or
than their old rate of compensation. This, IN
deed is the chief argument he can produce and
the only one worth even passing considcra-
ton.
We havcalready shown that when the sea and
inland postage was the rate at which ocean car
ricrs were paid, it amounted to between thirty
and tnrty-iivc cents a letter When by the IN
tcrnational postal treaty 1t was reduced to hNc
cents, as a common concession to every civil
ilcd people, all other governments but this
promptly contracted with their carriers ut a
rate per league travelled, and not per letter
transported. 1t was never contemplated that
the reduction of postage should be made at the
expense of the carriers. During the year end
ing June 30, s. /. the sum at Sl9,96 % was
paid to the American lines, which had tray cllcd
l.7jN. 1872 miles. At the same time We were
paving S271, 23l to foreign lines travelling but
"A slightly greater distance. Surprising that the
Postmastcr-G Generals offer had been accepted 1t
would still have been an inferior compensation
to that given foreign companies, and IT would
have cxacted of oar lines the very point for
which they have all along concndcd AMI which
was granted them by Congress, that payment
Shond br made on tne basis OF the distance
lIdNtlltU.
Mr.. Cleveland i, responsible for giving rs u
Po>tma,tcr-Gcnelal whose capacities are So
limited and whose qualities 50 mean that he
cannot get through his head the simple PROPOSE
ton that mil communication /, the lite ol com
mcrcc. and should he paid for not like potatoes
or timber. but for lis relation to the general
prosperity. Correspondence means trade,
revenue enterprise. everything that stimulates
the welfare of nations, and the things to pay
for are speed and SAFETY. man who looks az
thi, great vial question not on the theory ac-
ccptcd By every other civilized nation, but on
the contrary theory that every letter IL worth
penny or two pennies or five, has no business At
the head Of our Post Office Department. lie
may do well enough for Wisconsin cross
road, Statesman, but lac is very much out of
place in the Presidents Cabinet.