The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-12-16
A GOOD MEASURE TO DEFEAT.

A UUOU MEASURE III DEr EAI.
A few days ago the FREE PRESS
noted the substance of..an amendment
which Congressman Lind proposes to
add to the postoffice appropriation
bill authorizing the sale of stamped
envelopes at the face value of the
stamp. Tie amendment is one that
is detrimental to large business in
terest in this country and should be
defeated. We can hardly think that
Mr.. Lind has paid much attention to
this matter else his views are greatly
at variance with his good judgment
on most other questions of public pol
icy. 1t is really species of class leg
.islation, and it would be an unjust
interference with private business.
for it would be simply move on the
part of the government to enter into
and control line of business, and as
it would donate to the people the cost
of the article, and the legitimate
profit which dealers must charge in
order to live, it would result in
driving out all private capital en-
ployed in that line except what the
government might please to employ.
1t would give to the postotfice depart
ment monopoly IN the envelope
market and also to possibly three or
four manufacturing establishments
that would secure the contracts to
manufacture them. 1t would be Just
as consistent, and right in the same
line, for the government to enter into
any other line of business and furnish
the article to the people at price
that would drive out all private cap
ital and leave the federal authorities
a complete monopoly. 1t is move
that is unjust and unwarranted,
The statement that stamped envel.
opes can be sold at the face value OF
the stamps just as well as postal cards
is not founded upon good business
judgment. In the first place the pos
tai card is cheaply gotten up affair
"a good envelope, such as the govern
ment sends out, costing several times
as much, and that burden is one
which the general government should
not assume. If the Department il
able to stand burden equal to what
this would be, it shonld be made il
the shape of reduction of postage
charges, which will benefit the entire
people, and not interfere with pri
vate business. The further assump
tion that the increased use of stamp
ed envelopes would serve to lesser
the cost and so lessen the burden, il
hardly tenable as it is not probable
the cost of first-claSs envelope would
be materially reduced and the increaS
ed use would enhance the expense t.
1.-THE government.
1t is wrong in principle for thu
| government to engage in business
which intrudes upon private affairs
For years it has printed cards upOr
it's stamped envelopes for it's custom
ers free of cost, thus unjustly dis
eliminating against the printing fra
ternity of the country. There is now
pending in congress a bill which viii
put stop to this, and it should anC
probably will become law at thi
session, and the good work so accom-
plished should not be offset by givini
the government a monopoly in tn
envelope field. Public and privat
interests should be entirely divorced
We understand that the executive
committee of the State EditorialAsst
citation will at once issue a circular t,
the newspaper fraternity of the coun
try setting forth the hardships tina
would ensue from the adoption of tn
proposed law, land making an appeal t.
Mr.. Lind to withhold the amend
ment, and if this is not successful
then active steps will be taken to de
feat the. move. They should recelv
the active support of every newspape
man.