Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13
TRYING TO SOLVE MYSTERY
Statement by Gen. Sickles Dis
tributed Without Postage.
CHARGE OF VIOLATING LAW
Representatives in Congress Criti-
else "Rubes' Uplift Commission"
Appointed by the President.

carries out the intention expressed by
some of its members during the hearings
Of the legislative appropriation bill. ii
will make an effort to find out who sent
out from the Agricultural Department 90
600 copies of a campaign speech by Gen.
Sickles under government frank. When
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Lawshe was before the committee he was
asked how the mystery could be solved.
How can we find out and get trace OF
this matter" Representative Livingston
of Georgia asked 1T Is charged openly.
and believe the Agricultural Department
has admitted it, but, as they say. they
cannot locate the proposition. How can
find out who franked $1,000 or 10000
copies OF Gen. Sickles' letter and sent
them out of the Department Of Agricul-
ture?"
Charges Violation Of Law.
II do not know whether republicans
alone do this. There was Champ Clark s
speech, / want to say that in my opin-
ion both of the national campaign COM
mittees have absolutely violated the law
in spirit, if not in letter, outrageously."
II think the democrats have not" Rep
resentative Burleson of Texas remarked,
amid laughter.
The committee also criticised the Presi-
dents commission on country life, or. as
it is more generally called around the
Capitol, 1.-The rubeS' uplift COMMISSION
for its use of a government frank.
Use by Country Life Commission.
THE question may have been raised
Mr. Lawshe said. whether this COM
mission ON country life could make use
of the ranking privilege or, rather, use
the penalty envelope. If so. 1t was held
that the commission on country life as
such could not use it, but that corre-
spondence in regard to that commission
which related exclusively to the business
of the government of the United States.
conducted by an officer of the government
under the supervision of any executive
department, might under the law De
transmitted free of postage under cover
of penalty envelope of his department.
But these men are not officials of the
government" said Mr.. Livingston.
president Roosevelt has no authority to
appoint them under any law to any om-
cial position
If it was government business 1t would
be frankable: If not, 1t would not be, re-
piled Mr.. Lawshe.
How could 1t be government business
when this commission has no standing
in law asked Mr.. Burleson.
Question Of Law.
THAT might be a question OF law.
whether the President has authority to
appoint such q commission" suggested
Mr.. Lawshe.
THE President said Mr.. Gillette OF
Massachusetts,. has the right to appoint
any number Of commissions. but his ap-
pointing them as commissions does not
make them government commissions. 1t
makes them commissions of his.
THE commission as such. mas no
frank admitted Mr.. Lawshe. land
believe does not use a frank. In fact. /
believe it must have been told. II the
question was raised, that 1t had no right
to use frank.
Chairman Tawney then had inserted in
the Record a circular which the commits
sion of country life sent out over It's sig
nature and under a frank.
Appointed Without Authority.
The commission was appointed without
any authority Of law and the question is
how they get the right to use the frank
ing privilege" Mr.. Tawney said.
Mr.. Livingston told Mr.. Lawshe the
department was passing much more mai
matter matter franked than 1t should.
There is no penalty provided for the
misuse of the frank. explained MT
Lawshe. 1--WE investigate all complaints
coming to the department concerning the
alleged misuse of the Thanking privilege
cent campaign We had a number of COM
plants, and they were against members
OF both political parties. Each was given
careful, non partisan investigation. Against
the republicans 1t was complained that
certain addresses and documents were
sent out that were not frankable: for in
stance. postal cards. 1t was held that
those cards, as prepared. were frankable
under the law. Instances were brought
to the attention Of the department In
which Mr.. Bryan's lecture on THE Prince
of Peace" was placed with frankabe
matter. / do not recall that that lecture
was ever delivered in Congress or printed
I'm the Record. Every Congressman whose
frank had been so misused disclaimed
responsibility for ii, and in so doing I be-
lieve he told the truth. In many cases
believe the franks are obtained in adj
vance, and the people who place the mat
ter within the envelopes do not know or
realize that 1t is misuse Of the ranking
privilege to insert something in addition
to what Is frankable In a case I have
in mind a member Of Congress placed
campaign buttons, In some envelopes
bearing his frank. They were not ad-
dressed or intended to be mailed. They
were handed about personally, not dis
tributed at first in the mails at all. but
people who got hold Of them, however,
put them in the mails"
Amount of Penalty Matter.
NJ 'AiAS POAAe Aa"HCy CdllcO dllcu~
ton to the fact that the amount Of PEN
atty matter sent out by the Post Office
Department has a postal value of ST.
&C.. SOS6s.
1.-The reason 7 call attention to that
specifically IS this said Mr.. Tawney
1.-THE newspaper carried this item as
though it was all franked matter con-
veying to the public the impression that
that Is the postal value of the matter
sent out by members OF Congress and
senators: and yet when you come to
analyZe II there is only So, 9S7 546. A worth
out of S42. 100000. or more than $i2. 900 600,
that can be charged to Congress"
At the conclusion of the hearing Mr.
Lawshe promised to submit formal
opinion to the committee as to the frank
ability of the rubes uplift commission 8
literature.