Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-08

Very Liberal Contribution TO the
CamnaiEn ENpenseN.

Uncle sam is liberia. contributor 70 the
campaign fund this year. Few people real
ize how liberal this patriotic parsonage IS
in this matter. His direct contribution this
year says the Washington star. IS some
thing over s. 400 600. This Is 3 very mod
crate estimate The fact that no accounts
are kept makes il impossible TO ascertain
the exact amount. This amount covers the
more direct contribution, ana aces not take
into account that which Is done indireCtlr.
According TO the very lowest estimate
the TWO parties. through their distributing
agencies have sent ont 90 ,h0h 600 pieces o.
literature under congressional frank The
probability Is that this estimate is alto
Eether TOO low. Nj Hanna has state. -hEt
the republican committees have distributed
GOO 600 600 documents The democrats have
not distributed anything like as many. but
their number Is unusually high II is likely
that at least q third o. al the documents
sent on; were parts Of the Congressional
Record and were sent under frank. free Of
postage These documents are sealed IL
envelopes and would be subject 10 letter
postage i not sent free. The average post
age would he cents OF more per piece.
Taking the low estimate q 20 O0b 600 GoCu-
meuts the postage would amount 10 S-.sp1.-
600
This is one item There is 3 good deal he
sides that Uncle sam does.
-hE committees tut 10 & very large extent
they are saved the COS; Of composition OF
speeches ana con EresS loual documents
through the use o. stereotype plates mace
q government expense Tor the Gu1Cre sslcuE4
Record How much this government con
sributiCl amounts 70 Il would be difficult 70
I calculate i Is not Z direct expense 10 The
government. n addition 10 the parts al ne
Congressional Record which so through the
mails free under frank there are many d"cu-
uslts from the departments which 80 free
as Official matter Matter o. this s--t has
zone out under the covers Of The Bureau o.
Statistics, the Treasury department and The
Department Of Agriculture.
OF course the cost o. collecting iuformE-
ilgu cannot be taken into account tur e This
hau 10 be done by the campaign committees
The cost 10 them would be GLORIOUS. Those
campaign documents which are z part o.
the Congress iUuGl Record are foidsd-that
Is put into envelopes and seals5-st govern
ugli expense. One dollar : thousand is
paid for This work, and there is always
4 large appropriation MADE f-r this purpose
I This year The amount q folding vas 50
! great that tte appropriation WIS exhausted
about three weeks ago and the work has
4 been done since Oh credit under z promise
Joined n by the senators and members o.
me house On the two campaign committees
hat they would secure Z deficiency zppr0-
priatiou from congress 10 pay he bills aE
Eoou rs The next session begins A large
number Of persons are engaged u tins work
and have been making good wages 0ut q IT,
. The average Is not below s. day and
( few who are expert make as much a. 81
day.
some years ago the frsnkinF privilege was
extended 10 al members Of the house and
se1ute for their correspondence both pr
waite and Official. This was regarded as 81
, gus5 and ri act Was passed With1rE wing
The privilege Beng deprived Ct the right
to send their letters free q postage added
Z great DEL 70 the expense o! cl1-reEsigus!
lie ana was regarded Is Z great burden
~ co1Eresgmtu- The money spent for pest
age made & hole Of 10 small size IN their
SALARIES o. s., Dn1 II cast members any
where from 81 70 s. & day. During the llz.
Eessi8l o. The Flfty-thlrd congress an &C:
WIS passed granting the franEilE privilege
in al official correspondence. This relieved
cgugresEueg q The expense e postage Oh
all except their private correspondence The
term ofHcial" is given broad construction
uDd many 2-Cent stamp is saved.
This Is The FIRST general election uu5e'
thz new 6lEpeuss-iGu O. free postage ana
the volume o. Official mail has been in
u.tnse il Is impossible . make anything
like Hn adequate estimate o. the amount lt
has cost the postal revenues During The
sessions Of congress fifty letters q day fer
each member IS not high average estimate
The average has probably been higher than
fifty during the last Two months q tho
safely estimated Al about 81 900 FOR Tho
sixty dByE
Moreover The senators ana members have
fa1 70 q large extent the service o. the
FalErisd conEresEiCual employees ana hare
rad heir private secretaries
The entire SUN o. Uurle Sans con
trlbutiun 10 the campaign Is not email