Telegram-herald., 1889-07-21


I-sr1 are u4t t4Tee p~rsa~s !. t1e nlled
1t4lss ot1sr t1z1 t11&s lelaiEz pc1lle 81
r.. a-e are allowed @ rele-Fs @nd ser1
IA. a-4--er free -f posl-ge. Wrl.es " 49,
1aElQe c1rrssf411eat 4Aese t1ree psrs-.l4s
zrs Ile ull-as lf tse -&ts fre<l@s4ls
80, lsarl-41 411 5r4Dt a. 49, q
Congress . g-lfso - graft Ills psislseEe
- --F c.s sl1 il las bseL - granted -
tae a--sss ef fles.-sa-s - slrce $50, wheE
l-e rrss acl e-s t..sse1 colferrlag he Is
tlae'.9l 1lo- AFs D.lly / N-- SEA
A--s-s ~ t1e UGlle1 s.4-es fossa-
Laws a-t hegl--l.ons. vhlea i oo4-
p-tl9a ~ l1s r--es p-o-ls1ea FOR TIE A.
tern4 - et1 9-'taace of gosila as-sf ..t.d
Ci-rr cl1.-a.-s Mrs lF.sr N4s l4I eutl-rl
l. t-1 te-1lIs - fl@LAtas iaaL matter. anc
D. > tr-e tlat 40 lazy a. ever passed
"a t-r case sac W4s. ia = sSEss. = victim ~
c1e ci t- Sc pe--.l-r oyerslg1ts ot cong ross
WlNh are " fre4 -ent occurrence Tie
Psi .omcs Department, however, Sppre-
c--aas lle taet laal Airs. ~ Ter MAS Ia equity
eaIr.e1 ~ tie same pris sl-ege ~ 1lca lad oy
law been granted 20 Mrs.. Po.k. Mrs. Gar
ne.c aud Mrs.. Gr4Lt, accepted her fraAk Ia
le4 ~ p4stage aIe co,lected n0tn-Eg upoa
matter mailed 70 her address
There - rather peculiar fact connected
win the case of NJ. Polk also. Tue act
granting her tie privilege OF free postgg %
was passed la $50 Slnce that date a. laws
coutlr-ng tAc irauAag privilege have beoa
once ar twice repealed, the last tine IL
lSs3, I'D n0 at las since been passed Ia
favor - Ms. POLK There - 10 law on the
statute books today, therefore. emitting her
u tne benefits Of free postage, Dut II IS al.
lowed her arbitrarily by the department,
and the Postal Laws and Regulations name
her rs one az the persons legally entitled 10
TIE bcuetts Of the franking law.
IL IS n0t generally known that the law ex
tending the franking privilege 70 these
ladies also provides explicitly that T-ail mat
ter, including letters, newspaper and pack
ages addressed 20 them, j. exempt from The
pay mcut 0f postage. The only ex plauation
Of this someW hat peculiar provision Of law
ls that when Congress passed the first OF
these private acts II failed 10 notice that
free postage 20 the sender Of mail conferred
10 sort OF benefit upon the persons ae.
dressed. Mrs Polk, for instance. Is not
benefited IN the slightest degree because
some person who wishes - write her les-
ter Is not required 10 afiix stamp 70 H.
ct Then the laws ia favor u al the Presi-
dents willows who came after Mrs. Polk
were passed, tho same language was uaeG
and stands npon the statute books to-day.
A sort Of fatality IN tAe direction OF max
Ing mistakes seems 10 have followed tue
oourse Of law making on the subject OF TIA
fran.1ng privilege, aud the most siupendous
blunder Of all that Congress made IN the
first general act passed has never yet been
corrected. THIS is the failure 10 provide
penalty for a violation Of the law. Although
there have been rs many as fifty franking-
privilege acts passed by Congress since
1919, not one Of them provides any penalty
for their infringement or evasion. This
very singular oversight is a cause OF much
Inconvenience and annoyance TO the postal
officials, and because OF IL very few arrests
have been made, although the one oil franks
by unauthorized persons and on unfranka-
bic matter Is Of very frequent occurrence.