New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-07

promise 10 NUM- uOWu tDc ldo'hi "io" ~ -
cuses of swindling the mails in the interest OF
Cleveland and Reform by the forgery OF MS
frank:
THIRD ASSISTANT POsTMASTER-GENERAL,
PosT-oFBICE DEPARTMENT.
OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL,
Washington ID. c., Oct 3, 1888.
Sir: have the honor to acknowledge receipt OF your
letter OF the Both ult ncosins two articles extracted
from recent issues OF The New-York Tribune with regard
to the use BIZ some unknown person. OF forged imitation
Of your frank in transmission through the mails OF cer-
tain unfrankabe matter.
Several cases involving the misuse Of franks Of members
Of Congress have recently brought to the attention of
the Department and undergoing Investigation
In two OF these cases genuine frank Of the Hon
A. T. Hovey used time during the past month to
send through the mails certain German Republican news
papcrsone Of them being the Cincinnati Volksbatt-whch
are any fTankabe matter though Mr. Iovey,
notified Of the facts the 10Th ult has declared
that the use OF his such purpose never
authorized by him.
In two other what appears to be the genuine frank
OF the Hon NJ Quay used transmit free through
the mails pamphlet entitled "A Short Review Of the Public
and Private Life Of General Benjamin Harrison another
entitled the State Prison South several tariff tracts IL
sued by the Industrial League and card entitled Cleve-
lands Record which and do not purport to be
public documents.
In still another apparently genuine frank Of
tho Hon John Kean, jr, has been used to cover a
paHDheJ Inc l1IQuOr IIdlnc, anu dIclncI cl-
titled Protection and Prices" neither OF which is frank
able under the law Information communicated on
the 18th ult. to both Mr.. Quay and Mr.. Kean OF this
misuse OF their franks the Department up this
time not received from either OF them explanation
whatever in regard thereto These all differ from
yours respect they involve the misuse Of
genuine franks while in your the frank is I'M
misakabe forgery They cited to show that the De-
partment IS giving prompt attention to matters Of this
character.
The Chief Post Ofice Inspector will be directed to give
this prompt and thorough investigation. in the
which endeavor will be made to obtain from
the publishers OF The Tribune the bearing the
forged frank and also to ascertain how the ranked pack
came into their possession Yours very respectfully
DON NJ DICKINSON. Postmaster General
HON. S. S. COX, House OF Representatives.
This letter, together with that in which Mr..
Cox said we were unjust TO him, leads us to say
that Mr. Cox does not know when he is well of.
The fact is that packages Of indecent and dis
honest Democratic documents mailed from the
Democratic Headquarters at Station were for
warded by Postmaster Pearson to half the post
masters in this State for distribution, under the
frank of s. S. Cox. Mr.. Cox came to orr office
and gave us his word Of honor that he did not
write the frank and that it a forgery. 1t
certainly is not, in Mr. DiclIinsOns language, an
unmistakable7 one. Mr. Cox knew as well as we
that to shield himself by such declaration was TO
pronounce his party's campaign committee a set
of forgers and thieves, and to make 1t appear
that they kept some sort of Jim the Penman
up at their headquarters operating on his name
That this necessary consequence of his reputation
of the frank would strike many people as less
probable than that his memory was bad, he must
have perceived. But we, at least, did not hesitate
in accepting his word. We took it in good faith
in Just as good faith as the paying teller at Mr.
Coxs bank would be likely to take signature
purporting to be his forged by the same mys
terious scoundrel whom Mr. Cox denounces III
The Tribune and protects in The World
Mr. Dicllnsons impcrtincnt and undignifed
letter is a valuable and welcome contribution to
the mass Of proof why he and the party that i'm
poses him upon the country should be driven
from power. He gives in that letter clear in
dicaton of his quality as a man and an Official
The information furnished him of a conspiracy to
swindle the Government in his Department ELECTS
nothing but a partisan effort to be smart, Il
turn the tables and to call of attention from his
party machine and its crimes by alleging similar
frauds against certain Republicans. This is
the sort of thing we should expect from
the man who hlSens Grover Cleveland
TO the Son of God, and who
lets his public duties slide while h,
runs ABOUT lHc tOuutI9 WIN SucH DidSlhthVu'
utteranceS II justfes us in pursuing toward Mr.
Dickinson precisely the opposite course from thai
taken in Mr.. Cox's case and in saying that w
shall believe his charges when he proves them
The Republican Committee distributes its dOcu
ments through the express companies 1t ha
found the mails to be utterly unsafe and untrust
worthy. But the conduct of Mr. Ilovey, Mr.
Quay Mr. Kcan is neither here nor there. lie
Mr.. Dickinson deal with them as the law requires
if he really has any facts TO support his charge
The point at issue is the grand swlndle perpetrae'
by the Democratic Committee by mcans-sO Mr.
Cox declares-of an official forger. We propos
to keep this issue clear and straight Neither Mr.
Dickinson nor Mr. Cox shall be permitted to oh
scure it. Who and where is that forgerP Wha
has been done 10 find him and send him to Jail
| q n Mr Dickinson tho fnrnnr