The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1890-01-31

There are but three persons In the u
nlted States, other than tnose holding pub.
lie Office, who are allowed 10 receive and
send mail matter free Of OF postage, writes
Warrington correspondent. These
three persons are the widows Of the late
President Polk, Garfield and Grant. An
act OF Congress Is required to grant this
privilege to any cae, and Il has been SO
grantedsio the widows Of the Presidents
since 1885. when the first act was passed
ecnferIng the distinction upon Mrs Dolly
p Madison.
According to the Ualtcd States Postal
Laws and Regulations, which a complla-
ton oflhs rules published for Information
and guidance of postmasters aud other
officials, Mrs. Tyler was net entitled to the
benefits of franking mail matter, aud Il Is
true that no law was ever passsed In her
case. She was. in n sense, victim Of one
of those peculiar overs.ghts Of Congress
which are Of frequent occurrence. Tie
Post Office Department, however. appre.
eIatlng the fact that Mrs. Tyler was Ia
equity entitled 10 the privilege which had
BY law been granted to Mrs. Polk Mrs.
Garfield and Mrs. Grant, accepted her
frank in lieu of postage and collected
nothing upon matter mailed to her address.
There Is a rather peculiar fact connected
with the ease Of Mrs. Polk also. The act
granting her The privilege OF free postage
was passed In iSso Since that date all law,
comforting the iranklng privilege nave
been once or twice repealed; the last time
In 1873, and no act has since been passed
In favor Of Airs Polk There Is no law ON
the statute books to-day, therefore, en-
fitting her to the benefits OF free postage
but II is allowed her arbitrarily by the dc
partment, aud the Postal Laws and RegW
latIons name her As one Of the persons
legally entitled to the benefits OF the frank.
ng law.
II Is not generally known tina, the Law
extending the ranking privilege to thes
ladies also provides explicitly that NAL
matter, including letters, newspapers and
packages addressed to them, Is cxemp
from the payment of postage. The onl
explanation OF this somewhat peeulla
provision OF law Is that when Congre
passed the first OF these private acts
failed 10 notice that free postage to III
sendsrs OF mail conferred no sort OF benei
upon tie persons addressed. Mrs. PolI
for instance, is not benefited In the siighte'
degree because some person who wishc
to write her letter Is not required to atIi
a stamp II. Yet when the laws in fave
of all the Presidents widows who cam
after Mrs. Polk were PASSED, the sam
language was used and stands upon IN
; stsiute books to-day.
A sort Of fatality In the direction {
making mistakes seems to have foliowe
the course Of flAw-making on the subjec
Of the ranking privilege, and the mos
stupendous blunder OF all that congre,
mace In the first general act passed hi
never vet been corrected. This Is the fai
are to provide penalty for violation {
the law. Although there have been q
many as 6fty frankingp privilege acts passe
by Congress since 1879. not one Of ;heI
provides any penalty for their infring,
ment or evasion. This very singuia
oversight is a cause Of much inconvenlenc
and annoyance to the postal officials. an
because Of IL veiy few arrests have bee
made, although the one of franks by un
authorized persons and on snfrankab
matter Is of very frequent occurrence.