The record-union., 1894-10-31
YOU PAY THE BILLS.
Mr.. Caminetti's Campaign Documents
Go Free.
Congressman's Frank Used in Mall
Ing Many Thousand Copies
of Speeches.

From the Stockton Daily independently
The Stockton Postof1ice is at present
| overburdened with business. Congress-
man Caminetti is sending out an i'm
| mense quantity of campaign literature
under the frank" of a Congressman,
| and you pay the bills.
Congressman's "frank'' is the privi-
lege such an official has to send through
the mails free such portions of the public
documents as he wishes his constituents
to read, and you pay the bills.
The privilege is much used and is not
often abused, at least to the extent it is at
present being abused by the candidate
for Congress from the Second District of
the State. Public documents are of use
to the people in informing them of what
is being done in Washington, and the
frank" is given to the Congressman
because he is supposed to know to whom
the documents Will do the most good. 1t
has been considered right, therefore, that
the matter should go through the mails
free and that you should pay the bills.
y few years ago the "franko was most
outrageously abused by both political
parties. Democrat succeeded in get
ting printed the entire manuscript of
Henry Georges theories of protection.
AT the same time, or about the same
time, a Republican secured as an inser-
ton in his speech a complete book on
facts and fallacies of free trade. These
two campaign documents were circulated
throughout the country by both political
parties as parts of the public record and
under the franks of the different Sena-
tors and members OF Congress, and you
paid the bills.
This abuse of the franking privilege
was so hagrant that the House adopted
certain rules to stop further abuse of the
privilege. In part the new rules stopped
the abuse by political parties, but it
seems that they did not go as far as they
should for the protection of the people,
for Congressman Caminetti has succeeded
in getting around them by having printed
in the city of Stockton 10000 pam phlets
of two speeches alleged to have been de-
livered in Congress and is sending them
out through the mails, and you pay the
bills.
That they are being distributed simply
for campaign purposes few people can
doubt, when SO large number of pam
phlets are being sent at this particular
time, and when the general registers of
this district are being used from which TO
obtain the addresses of the voters who
are likely to have vote at the coming
election. 1t would seem that the intent
Of the law is being subverted, and that
the rules of the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives are being overridden, and
you pay the bills.
All OF last week in the private office of
Justice McNo6le, the candidate for re-
election on the Democratic ticket and
former Secretary of the Democratic
County Central Committee, five penmen
have been at work addressing Govern
ment envelopes, to the voters of the Sec
ond Congressional District. on each one
of these envelopes appears in large let
ters: public Document. House of Rep
resentatives, y. S. Part of Congressional
| Record. Free" In another corner ap-
pears the stamp of Congressman A. Cam
| inetti, and the printed letters, M. c.,
| meaning that it is sent by Member of
| Congress, and that a. Caminetti is re-
sponsible for sending it at public ex-
pense. This envelope was purchased at
| Washington, was printed al Washington,
and you paid the bills.
Inside the envelopes are placed PAM
phlets. the covers of which announce
| that each has in it the speech of Hon.
4. Caminetti of California in the House
| of Representatives on the bill (H. r.
| 6,5lS) making appropriations for the con-
struction, repair and preservation of GER
| tain work on rivers and harbors and for
other purposes: also his speech on the
bill (H. r. 7,S40 to amend Section 1886 of
tie Revised Statutes" The speeches
were two of the five speeches which, ac-
, cording to the Congressional Record Mr..
Caminetti delivered on the last day of
the session, when Congress was in ses-
sion only ten minutes and when Mr.
Caminetti very probably arose to his
seat and asked leave is print. The
Speaker probably remarked that if there
were no objections Mr.. Caminetti of Cali
fornia could take leave to print There
were no objections and the leave was
taken. Thus they appeared in the Rec
ord. The object of their being presented
becomes apparent at this time. MIR.
Caminetti wanted a campaign document
which he could have printed and dis
tributed, while you paid the bills.
These speeches were not printed in
Washington, but were the product of
local press, and the imprint of the pub
fishers appeared on the title page.
When the candidates for Office in this
State conclude their canvass they will
have to make out a schedule of moneys
expended in the campaign. The sending
out of these 10000 pamphlets, which the
Democrats will not attempt to deny are
being sent out for campaign purposes,
would cost Mr.. Caminetti the sum of S4Oo
if sent as printed matter unsealed. This
little matter of S400 will not appear in
MIR. Caminett's schedule, for you will
have paid the bill.
Within the week now passing each
voter in the district, whose name appears
on the Great Registers of two years ago,
will receive copy of this campaign doc
ument through the mail.