New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-26
4 CnNSrLR1ll-EES

consn have raised thrill cry OF Conspiracy.
One of them, Colonel John II. Knight, profess
ing to be Mr.. Nilass most intimate associate
charges that the Washington correspondents il
general, and TIE TGIBUNE in particular have
entered into a most "damnablc these
Western statesmen use strong language when
cxcitcG-corpOratiOn plot out OF revenge Tor the
withholding of a mail subsidy to the Pacific
Mail Mr. Villas. it appears, has incurred the
malcvolcnt cnmity of ian aggregation OF
corporations" Of all kinds-stcamship, railroad,
telegraph and telcphone-which owns news
papers East and West, brides Washington
correspondents and ut times controls Doth
houses of Compress. These conspirng corpOr-
ations with their venal agents have merchcssly
assailed the Postmaster General, have persisted
In lying about him the greater part of year,
and are making desperate efforts TO drive him
ont of the Cabinet. All this, 10 repeat Colonel
knights favOrite word, is simply damnable,
and especially the course of THE TRIBUNE!
Mr. Villas as the sole representative IN the
Cabinet of the craftsmanship of the boundlesS
Western pralrics, is a meagrc as well as lone
some figure. We are not surprised that his
Wisconsin admirers find il necessary to arrange
y far-reaching background of conspiracy in
order TO make n crcdltablo exhibition of him.
Certainly he will cease to be an Impressive
ficnre If deprived of these lurid scenic effects.
If there be any member Of the Cabinet to whom
n background of some kind is Indispensable 1t
is the Postmaster General, for without 1t ne Is
merely a very uuntcresting Western lawyer.
For our own part, we readily concedc that
there has been n political conspiracy against
him. conducted by Mr.. Holman and other Dem
ocratic leaders. In this plot he has been less
the victim than the willing dupc. The object OF
the conspiratOrs has been to nullify an act of
Congress for the relief of American steamship
companies, which Mr.. Holman persistcntly but
unsucccssfully opposed. That act as approved
March 3, 1885, provided rs follows
Por transportation OF foreign mails, including railway
transit across tho lsthmus OF Panama. eight hundred
thousand dollars. And the Postmaster General "a
authorized to into cOutacts for tho trans
portaon OF any part OF said foreign mails after legal nd
vertsement with the lowest responsible bidder At rate
not exceeding so cents nautical mile on tho trip each
way actually travelled between the terminal points:
Provided that the mails contracted shall be carried
on American steamships ana that the aggregate OF such
contracts shall not exceed half OF the sum hereby
appropriated
Congress, vested under the Constitution with
the right of making appropriations for mail
service, had voted $i00, 900 for the American
steamship lines Mr.. Holman had strcnuously
resisted the passage of this clause and after
being defeated on point Of order had sue
ceeded In having the appropriation stricken
out but after the failure of the conference
committee to agree, the House had finally re-
coded from its position and passed the bill.
This law, enacted after an exhaustive dis
cussiou of the subject by both houses, the Post
mastcr-General has set aside. He has withheld
the appropriation at his own discretion. He has
acted in defiance Of the law making authorities
of the country. He has conspircd with the
leaders of the Democratic minority TO render
inoperativc the law which they unsuccessfuly
opposed and TO carry out in practical admins
tration the principles on which Mr.. Ilolman's
points of order and amendments were
grounded.
TO be more precise, let US explain that
formerly the American lines received from %
to 10 cents for every letter carried, but after
the international conference tho rate was re-
duccd to cents. Under the statute which was
repealed by the Dingcy Act, American vessels
were bound to carry the mails at the rate of 2
cents. Mr.. .Holman's contention last winter
was tiluL ulluCT i)cCllOu f,uOJ VI lHc IbHlScu
Statutes the Postmaster eneral could contract
for mail transportation at the old rate of
cents. Congress oycrrulcd his objection and
enacted a law tending to cqualize postage on
land and sea. The Postmaster General has re-
fused TO comply with that law has thwarted
the will of Congress, and is now conducting the
service precisely as Mr.. Holman proposed to
have it dOne-On the 5-cent basis. He has
vetoed an act of Congress, declared war upon
American shipping and subjected the mercan
tile community to annoying delay and serious
INCONVENIENCE in correspondence; and for what
purposc7 Why, simply to carry out Mr..
Holman's will instead Of the will of the const
tutional law-makng authorities. 1t is a law
breaking Unspiracy-nOthing more nor less.
MISLEADING SIATEhENT&
There are few falacies often employed by
cronIS IN the silver question which need Occa-