Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-12-01
MACON, MISSISSIPPI. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1894.

Fahtage OF the broad copstrpr,,,n
oi what constitutes matter Of tho
SECOND class, by sending ont
.ne'r advertisements, and publica-
''ohS' under the technical disguise of
newspapers and periodicals, and have
mus secured the benefit of the lower
Iate OF postage. He has discovered
.liat the abuse has grown so great that
!. now costs the government eioht
% 'ii,eS as much to carry second-class
Iii matter as the revenue derived from Il
Inc volume of seeond-class business
grew from $4,000, 600 pounds in lsss To
~;3o'ooo'ooo IN 1893, nearly doubling in
vi course" says Mr.. Bissell. "no
one can believe that such an increase
Is legitimate and he adds that it is
estimated that during the fiscal wear
ended June so, 1894, out of about AL.
ooo'ooo pounds of mail matter of all
classes carried 299,O0O,OOO or nearly
two-thirds, went under the second.
class rates, leaving net loss to the
government in its transportation of
SIG, 1878, 900. ''A "
believe that one years experience
under such limitations, with the frauds
and abuses checked, would demonstrate
mat we have already reached the time
ana conditions when all such legiti.
mate newspapers and periodical maga.
zines may be transmitted through our
mails from publishers into the hands
OF subscribers free of all COST
Regarding civil-service reform in the
post oiiice department, Mr.. Bissell con-
TENDS that it should be extended
wherever practical, and suggests that
the lower grade-the fourth class of
postmaster-might be included within
the benefits of the civil service law.
lie states that for more than genera
ton the American people have been
trained to regard the post office as in.
separable from the varying fortunes of
the two great political parties, and,
after deploring this fallacy, he adds:
The intelligence of our people has
long outgrown the notion that any one
political party enjoys monopoly of
administrative talent"
The postmaster generals attention
is too much engrossed by appoint.
ments, says Mr.. Bissell, and he main.
tains that the improvement of postal
facilities is retarded by the present
spoils system. Various Devices" he
continues, "have been proposed for re.
llevlng the postmaster general OF
his ever-increasing burden of response.
bility with regard to appointments.
Only one measure, however, so
far as am aware, has yet
taken the form of a Legislative bill.
That provides for the division of the
whole country into postal districts,
each under the supervision of an in-
spector, who is to investigate the an
tecedents, experience, reputation, etc,
of all applicants for vacant fourth
class postmasterships in his own dis.
trict, and report the results to the
postmaster-general. The postmaster.
general is then to appoint the candi-
date who, on the face of the report,
appears to be the best qualified in all
respects. Once appointed, post
master may not be suspended Or re-
moved for political reasons.
whether such plan is or is not
the best that can be devised, it is at
least the formulation of plan which
Is entitled to most careful and imme-
diate consideration, and may become
a foundation upon which to build"
Upon the subject of postal telegraph
Mr.. Bissell diJagrees with his preds-
ceSSor. Mr.. Wannmaker.