The Washington times., 1906-03-05
REPRINT MATTER
NOT FRANKABLE
COrtelyOu's Decision Opens
Up an Interesting Question.
DR.. W. CRAFTS CRUSADE
His Uudoing of al Old Custom Nav
Affect the Coming Congress
sional Campaign.

In sustaining the decision of Third
Assistant Postmaster General Madden
wherein he contended that ''Renrinted
Public Documents" were not fraHkabIe
through the mails, Postmaster General
CoTtclyou has opened a question that
may affect the conduct of the coming
Congressional campaign.
The decision Of MT. Madden was rem
dered in The case of the International
Reform Bureau. on the frankIns of
Patriotic Studies a booklet compiled
from transcript CT the proceedings OF
former Congresses on the temperance
question.
Under the broad Interpretation Of sec
uon 81 Of the printing laws Of 1888, the
officials OF the Reform Bureau, Sena-
tors, Representatives and the public
printer alike construed such transcripts
reprinted 10 be frankable. The atten-
ton OF Postmaster Merritt was called
to the Interpretation by Dr. Wilbur F.
crafts. secretary Of the Reform Bureau.
DR.. Crafts Crusade.
DR.. Crafts now wishes 10 know wheth-
or if by the recent decision Congressman
are to be permitted to mail under their
frank transcripts of speeches in Con-
gress 10 be used as campaign material,
He calls attention to one instance in
particular where a certain Congress
man on one occasion mailed several
thousand postal cards, containing brief
extracts from the Congressional Record
10 his constituents under frank
Dr. B, u. BaSSette. general secretary
OF the heform Bureau. when seen today
by a reporter for The Times, said:
I'VE have not been advised of the de-
cislon OF the Postmaster General. II
has been evident. though, that he NC
RUE that way The construction he
places upon the law is quite contrary to
former rulings. but We are not going to
complain II the same construction is
a applicable TO all similar cases 1t Is not
our intention 10 misuse a. privilege in
any way and when the case first came
up for a hearing we discontinued the
practice pending results.
POstofice Blamed.
THE chief blame is at the door of
the Post Office Department. which has
for many years allowed the franklin
of tons of reprints without protest. and
has made its first adverse ruling. not
against those who have done this on the
largest scale but against a philanthro-
pic society of limited purse and there
fore of limited mail.
Whatever willful abuses of the frank
ing privilege have occurred, there is no
good reason 10 suppose that those who
have franked reprints OF Government
documents have not all of them done
so in good faith, and with no thought
that they were violating any law. The
Reform Bureau has been as sincere a.
the Public Printer in following the
Same Interpretation of the law
Congress will no doubt make Sec
tion 81 Of the printing law a part of
the franl1ing law, of which il has been
supposed TO be an Interpretation. for il
are not allowed TO frank
reprints. made at their own cost. of
their speeches on public questions.
about which they need to inform their
they Will doubtless do it
at the cost of the public by increasing
the bulky and costly issues of the Con-
gressional Record or otherwise.
The relief of the mails of an excess
Of franked matter is already assured
in the proper way by the recent re-
forms that have cut off so much useless
printing. Now that the public mind is
a plowed field waiting for civic seed
il would be the opposite Of reform to
forbid franks to be used in accordance
with their original purpose as a part
of the free education of the public on !
public questions"