The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-05-05
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laa& SfS66S + :

ment: these are just signs. They
can be made alive and real and eff
fective, or they can be allowed to die
of dry rot. It will be a couple of
months more before anybody can
tell, even though Representative
Martin now is on record as saying
the Republicans will win rs addi-
tional seats in the house this fall.
The answer to the Republican
problem lies, I believe, in the an
swer to one question: can the Re-
publican factions get together? That
is to say, will it be possible for the
so-called New York crowd" and
the so-called middle West crowd"
to arrange a common ground upon
which all can stand? And if they
succeed in that, will they then be
able to persuade numerous lone
wolves and believing calves to come
into the corral for united action?
In this latter category, one will
find coolies of individuals who claim
leadership of followings, great or
small. One will see Senator Van
denberg of Michigan trying to dodge
affiliations of any kind that may
hinder his hurdle race-because Mr..
Vandenberg is building for the Re-
publican nomination whether he is
willing to admit it now or not. Then,
there are such others as Rep. Ham
nton Fish of New York who was a
great university football player. I
suppose Mr.. Fish knows his con-
gressional district and knows how to
play politics there, but it seems to
me that he ought to be of great aid
and comfort to the New Dealers.
1t is obvious, therefore, that while
the dominant party is split widely
between New Dealers and regular
Democrats, the Republicans have
some harmonizing ahead of them,
too. They will get somewhere or
not, just as they decide to subordi-
nate petty jealousies and efforts to
keep control" to the party neces-
sites in the coming congressional
elections. Some observers in Wash
ington lately have insisted to me
that Republicans will gain in the
house and senate this year despite,
and not because of, party organiza-
ton. Their conclusion is that Mr..
Roosevelt's personal popularity has
declined tremendously, and if that
has happened obviously, the
strength of the New Deal has
slipped off onto very thin political
ice.
The national capital has been
treated lately to a lifesized uproar
>. over the abuse of
rronRlng the franking privi-
Abuse lege. The franking
privilege is &C
corded all members of congress and
officials so that they are not re-
CURED to pay postage out of one
pocket and collect it back for the
other. I have no doubt, nor does
anyone else who is familiar with
the practice, that the ranking priv
iege has been frequently abused. It
remained for Horace Russell, gen.
eral counsel for the Home Owners
Loan corporation, to get caught at
it, however, and Mr.. Russell, there
fore, is the goat about which the
storm has conferred. He has re-
signed his job, but it appears that
he may be stuck with a postage bill
of about $3.50.
Mr.. Russell was accused on the
floor of the house by Representa-
tive Church of Illinois of having sent
out millions of letters advising
attorneys for the Home Owners
Loan corporation in the various cit ,
les that Judge o. B. Taylor was re-
signing as associate general counsel
and was opening private offices in
Washington for the practice of law.
The letters, which were shown later
to number about ten thousand, high
ly praised Judge Taylor and solicit
ed business for him. Disclosure of
the act in the house, brought about
Mr.. Russell's prompt retirement
and apologies, but the Post Office
department and the Department of
Justice had to look into the matter.
Hence, the likelihood that there will
be demand for payment of the
postage and that there will be no
further prosecution.
The incident created a stir and
more will be heard from it prob
ably, because there can be no doubt
but that the free mail privilege has
been abused viciously.
But it may be of interest to know
that there have been few if any con-
victions for violation of the free
mail privilege. Post Office depart
ment officials were unable to recall
any prosecutions, although there
had been some indictments, since
the present arrangement went into
effect in 1887.
The incident involving Messrs.
Taylor and Russell calls attention
to the tremendous amount of mail
that is carried free of postage. Last
year, according to postal records,
1,107 ,252, 468 pieces of mail were
carried under free provisions. Of
these $50 1852, 068 came from men,
bers of the house and senate. If
postage had been paid on all of
the mail, the amount would have
been $33, 713, 305. Postage on the
congressional mail was estimated
at something in excess of $40, 600, 900
which indicates how much less
campaigning costs after a politi-
clan is once elected to house or SEN
ate.