The evening world., 1920-12-06
.FRANKED MAIL USE
BY CRAFT IS TO BOOM
REFORMS RECALLED
Fifteen Years Ago Economical
Methods" Brought Trouble
for Himself and Senator.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.--Obscrvers
Of tho campaign or the Rev. Wilbur
f. Crafts, who has taken charge Of
the movement TO take the sun out
Of Sunday" by Congressional action
IN the District OF Columbia looking
20 a Blue Sunday amendment to the
Constitution, arc Interested in finding
out II DR.. Crafts is still employing the
economical methods which brought
him and Congressman and Senators
who were subservicnt to him into
trouble hftean or more years ago.
Tho Rev Mr.. Crafts was then, as
now. subssting on the support Of re-
| ligious organizations and reform So
cieties in whose interest he sought to
! promote and guide national legisln-
tion. Ho called himself the Chris
tian lobby" 1t was his public boas:
that he had such Influence with
Congressman who were aware OF his
capacity TO stir up political difficult
ties for them in their districts that
nc had no difficulty in persuading
them TO urn over to him their
privilege Of frankinE mail.
/ Il can reach a thousand people for
a dollar" he said, with a letter hav-
/ ing the autograph it, fac-simile Of
Senator or q Representative in the
upper left hand corner and so likely
to attract attention"
The attention Of Postmaster Cen
eral Cortelyou was called to the
matter in the Roosevelt Administra-
tion on a ruling Of the Third Assis-
tant Postmaster General that tho
matter sent through the mails by Dr..
! Crafts was not of q sort TO be carried
by a frank. The rcformef made many
protests, both publicly and through
political channels, and the subject
was allowed to drop, though it was
noted for some time that The Chris
tian Lobby was paying its own
postage.
The most seriously Impressed charge
against DR.. Crafts was that no used
the frank OF Senator Gallinger for
studies and enclosed with the book
a franhcd envelope with which 35
cents in payment of the cost Of print
ing the book ight be returned to his
Reform Bureau. This was regarded
as a double violation OF the law be
cause II involved the use Of the mails
for other than Governmental purposes
and provided for their use for Il pri-
vate enterprise involving money pay
nents.
There was no hint OF prosecution,
however In 1908 Dr.. Crafts sent
broadcast a prediction that Theodore
Roosevelt, then President OF the Unit
ed States, would yet become President
Of the World, with his seat at The
Hague.
The late Senator Hawlcy Of Conncc-
ucut admitted that he had furnished
Dr. Crafts with $4,000 frankcd en-
velopcs to circulate an appeal against
the opening of the st, Louis Exposi-
tion on sunday. Representatives Hep
burn Of Iowa and Clayton of Alabama
allowed him the use OF their names.
1t was explained at the time that
the National legislators who gave the
retOrmCr the means of saving CNpen-
dituvcs for postage and envelopes
were much Influenced by the fact
that they received a return through
the exploiting Of their own names as
aids to religious movements. The
Craft propaganda was always adj
dressed TO names on carefully pre-
pared lists Of church people and al
, ways praised without stint the Con-
grassWen and Senators who lent Or
Crafts their names as in The fore
front OF the battle against unright-
/. cuusness
/ Tho tendency to enforce the Law
. regarding privileges and pCrquisiteS is
, much stronger now than IL was fiftrcI
| or twenty years ago in Washington
d Tho mounting costs OF the mails ant
/ stationery have stirred the con
4 grcgs!Ona. conscience indifferent as 4
, has always been TO expenditure,
( which Injured to the personal benefi
q Of the Congressman, Technical OBJ
/ jeC.iOus were even made during tn
war to the use OF fraukcd cnvclOpc
70 by the agencies selling Liberty Bonds
s il is NOT regarded as likely that th
T. legal aspects OF the right Of DR.. craft
70 20 reach mis- audience Of Is, 900, 90
To- Christians with free postage ON frc
- envelopes will go unchallCngod If a
/. tempted,