Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-11-01
Illegally Used His oflcial Frank
to Mail Personal Political
Literature.
IGNORES WARNING
Psrsistsntly Violates Laws AT.
ter Being Told Not TO
Do 30.

. ~. .... ASV NV
Congressman l.. B. Hanna
feeced the government and conse-
quently, the people, out Of $lS,75O
in postage and stationery with
the illegal use Of his official frank
and official stationery during the
primary election to advance his
personal political interests ac-
cording to mathematical calcula-
tons based upon the distribution
of five separate circular letters
sent to 125,OOO tax payers in
{. North Dakota. Figure it your
self. Base the value Of the sta
tionery used at one cent, then add
two cents for postage. 1t would
cost $3.50 to mail 125,OOO let
ters, and to mail five letters it
would cost five times $3.50, or
$1S,75O.
When complaint was made by
a North Dakota tax payer about
Congressman Hanna illegally us
ing his, franking privilege to pro-
mote his political interests in.the
primary election to nominate a
republican governor, Postmaster
General Hitchcock tried to shut
Congressman Hanna off, but MIR.
Hanna flooded North Dakota with
his political literature under his
official frank.
Mi. Hanna's p. s."
Here is a copy Of a letter from
Congressman Hanna to Mr.. w.
H. Cabaniss, Grove, N. d., writ
ten on official stationery and sent
under official frank, the letter
that caused Mr.. Cabaniss to COM
plain of the way Congressman
Hanna was illegally using his Of
fetal frank:
"House of Representatives,
Washington, March II, 1912.
"Mr. w. Fl. Cabaniss,
"Grove, N. D.
"My Dear Sir:
81 am in receipt Of your favor
asking for certain Farmers Bull
letins.
II am very glad indeed to COM
ply with your request and have
ordered the bulletins sent on to
you and you should receive them
within the next two weeks. |
feel sure that they will be a help
and benefit to you. IF for any
reason the bulletins do not reach
you, advise me, and | will have
them traced up. If at any time in
the future there should be any
thing further that | can do for
you in any way, ! shall! be pleased
to have you write me. m
"With best wishes, | am
Sincerely,
(Signed) IL. B. Hanna.
"P. S. / am a candidate for
governor of our state and would
much appreciate the help and
support Of yourself and friends
Hanna is Guilty.
This is a copy Of the letter Mr..
Cabaniss received from Postmast-
er General Hitchcock in response
to his complaint about Congress-
man Hanna's illegal use Of his
official frank:
"Postoffice Department
Omitted States Of America.
coffee of the postmaster general
Washington, March q, 1912.
"Mr. w. Fl. Cabaniss,
"Grove, N. D..
"Dear SIR,
elm reply to your letter Of the
18th inst, which the president
has referred to me, inclosing a
circular letter dated March II,
1912, addressed to, you by Con
gresham L. B. Hanna, I beg to
inform you that the law, embod-
led in section 500 Of the postal
laws and regulations, restricts
the correspondence which a mem
Der of Congress may send in The
mails, free Of postage, under. his
frank, to that which is upon Of
fetal or departmental business
s"rhe. postscript referring to
Mr.. Hanna candidacy for gov
ernor of your state, at the bot
tom Of the circular letter, can
not be regarded as upon official
OF departmental business Mr..
Hanna was advised on the 18th
inst. that such circular letters,
when mailed, were subject to
postage. 81,
"The envelope and letter sub
mitted by You are herewith re-
Respectfully,
(Signed) !, ttF. H. Hitchcock,
. Postmaster. General"
Sends Political Letters.
Although this correspondence