The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-23
A Vote ON THE LOUD BILL
iL1l
The House Declares Against a
Change in the Postal Laws.
An Attempt to Restrict the Second
Class Mail Privileges Fails for the
Third Time-Thc Proposed Amend
ment Recommitted After Exhnus-
tive ArSuments-Ycas 1fS, Nays 96.

| day, for the second time, declared either
that it does not believe the passage OF the
| Loud bill. to amend the law regulating
second-class mail matter, will result in
| the saving of $40, 900 600 and upward an
nually, or that the saving would be at the
| expense of the enlightenment and nfor-
! nation Of the people by means of the pub
| locations that now find admission to the
mails at the rate of 1 cent poun'. The
! bill has three times been before the
House; once, in the Fifty-fourth Congress,
it was passed; in the Fifty fifth Congress
| and again today it was defeated. After
adjournment Mr. Loud, Chairman Of the
Committee on PostofTices and Postroads,
who has heretofore championed the re-
| form, as he believes it would be, said it
was three times and out as far as he
| is concerned. If it be brought before the
House again, he said, it must be by some-
! one else.
| The House spent four hours in its con-
sideration yesterday two hours in general
debate when Mr.. Moon of Tennessee made
| the principal speech against it and Mr..
! Moody of Massachusetts the closing speech
| in its favor. Two more hours were spent
! in amending the bill, and from the ease
| with which it was changed to meet the
| views of opponents and the refusal of the
| House TO order the yeas and nays on one
! proposition it was believed that the bill
| would finally pass. But motion to re-
| commit prevailed by vote of 14S to &C. a
| much larger vote against the measure than
| eyea its opponents had expected.
The opening speech OF the day was
made by Mr.. Moon, who discussed at
| length the handling and transportation of
mail matter. He said that although in
some instances 1t might be shown that
the privileges to which second class
| mail matter is entitled were sometimes
abused, it did net follow that the privi-
leges as to all others should be with
drawn. He made a strong argument In
behalf of the present cheap rates for
transmitting literature to the people.
Mr. Moon said that the children the
middle aged and the old, throughout this
Republic, the scientific organizations and
every branch of learning, demanded of the
House that it should not look to the mere
acquisition oflrevenue The education OF
the people was more important than
small bit Of revenue to the Government.
He said the express companies would
have a monopoly of the carrying of the
cheap literature, II this bill should pass.
Mr.. Talbert OF South Carolina opposed
the bill. During his remarks ne said that
the House appeared to have developed
mania for passing new legislation or re-
enacting old laws Mr.. Talbert quoted
from the SPEECH of Mr.. Griggs of Georgia
in which that gentleman, who spoke in
support of the bill. said it would not
change the existing law. He said that
the passage 90f the bill would infict
hardship upon country editors.
When there was doubt as to the value CT
new legislation the House should resolve
the doubt in favor Of the existing condition
of things and vote II down.
Interests OF Good Literature.
Mr.. Cummings of New York. closing the
debate for the opponents OF the bill. said
he had always opposed the bill in the in
terests Of every man who wanted to secure
good literature; In the interest OF every
printer bookhinder. and girl stitcher in the
city Of New York and other cities. He re-
ferred to his friend Lupton." who had
been mentioned in the debate. and told OF
some valuable cheap publications he had
issued. And il was that class of matter,
Dir. Cummings said. that it was sought to
kill off utterly. New York City paid to
;he Government s5,0G0,OC0 net postal rev.
enue, and this bill proposed to take work
away from its printers. stereotypers. press
The general debate on the bill was c.o.ed
by Mr.. Moody. Republican. of Massachu-
sets, member of the Postal Committee,
who advocated its passage. There was one
blot, he said. upon the postoffice business
of the country, and that was the handling
of second class matter. The total deficit
in postal revenues for the past ten years
was S102, coo 600. 1t had been caused Mr.
Moody said, by the loss cccas.oned by the
rate now provided by law. OF the bulk of
the mail it comprised SO per cent and as
the same price was paid for its transporta-
tion as for the other classes, it cost for
transportation alone twenty-four million
dollars.
The receipts on account OF second-claes
mail matter were s. ,500 coo so that the loss
on the item Of trans 2ortation was more
than $50, COO 0G0 annually. But if the rail-
roads and other transportation agencies
carried second class matter for nothing the
loss caused by its handling would be nearly
as great Aside from transportation the
expenses of the PostofIice Department last
year were sos, ,000 00e. Second class matter
Mr.. Moody said in pieces comprised one
third of the entire mail. To handle II cost
more than $4,000, GOO This, added to the
deficit incurred in transporting second
class mail matter. made a total cost to the
Government for handling and transporting
second class mail matter of $40 coo. 600,
We're this loss even partially recovered.
it would mean l-cent postage for letters
and rural free delivery all over the coun-
try. The people Of the United States were
the losers by the present conditions. and
those who would benefit by them were men
who were seIfshly enjoying them.
This bill does not interfere. or want TO
gir
tion." he continued. 1T leaves it exactly
as it is. Why Mr.. Speaker, no man is bold
enough to take away any OF the privileges
of the American press. No man desires
TO do It, Those gentlemen sitting above
the Speakers chair and those whom they
represent WELD more power than we who
sit below It. They carry along parties to
victory or defeat; they make and unmake
statesmen They mold and create public
opinion. Why, to be honest about 1t, we
dare not interfere with their privileges.
and nobody who had anything to do with
the framing. Of this bill proposes to do any
such thing.
An Amendment Proposed.
Mr.. Snodsrass of Tennessee proposed to
the second-class rate practically the same
publications as are now carried The
amendment was rejected
The bill was advocated by Mr. Cowherd
OF Missouri " ho said that most OF the op- |
position to the bill was described the other |
day by the member who said Il have not |
got done yet explaining my vote on the
Forto Rican bill. and don't want to cast |
any more that viii need explaining So III |
vote against the bill" |
But Mr. CoHherd warned the members