Year: 1869

The franking privilege enjoyed by Congress
has long been justly inveighed against by the
entire newspaper press Of the country. The
system in itself would not be so bad or so con-
demnatory, however, we're it not that it leads
to such abuses as has drawn upon it uni
versal odium. In his excellent message to
Congress and to the country President Grant
assures the people Of an administration OF
economy and retrenchment in all the depart
ments of the government under his especial
charge. 1t is to be hoped that Congress will
keep step with the Executive in this course OF
retrenchment and economy, and that the first
earnest of its good intentions in this regard
win be to abolish the franking privilege alto
gether, or institute a reform in the present
system which will render impossible the frauds
upon the Post Office Department, to which it is
now notoriously subject.


The abuse of the privilege has gone so far
that not even the semblance of the autograph
of Representative or Senator is necessary
to frank letters to the most distant parts Of the
Union. In Washington not one person in
thousand ever s>amps letter mailed in the
Post Ofice. 1t is all the same whether Con-
gress be sitting or not, from the fact that men,
bers while in Washington, by means Of
engraved stamps, flood the city with their
autographs, which hold good all the term of
their offices and for years after they are
dead-of which there have been instances.
Not only mail bags of letters are thus fraudu-
lently transmitted through the Post Office, but
tons of Congressional reports and documents
and such heavy matter, that is never read, but
which involves the Post Office Department in
great expense and encumbers the mails and
often retards their prompt transmission from
point to point.


Congress, perhaps for want of little good
advice in the matter, has hitherto persistently
and contumaciously refused to abolish their
privilege Of franking letters and Congressional
documents, notwithstanding all the abuses
which we have pointed out as attaching thereto,
and which have never been denied as existing.
Now we propose once more that the privilege
be abolished, but not without Offering sub
stitute in its place. Here it is. Let there be
law passed granting to members of Congress
while engaged in their Congressional duties
postage stamps for all proper and necessary
purposes, the Postmaster General to keep Q
record of the amount of stamps thus contrib
uted by his department, designating the guam
tity allowed to each Representative and SEN
ator. If Congress is imbued with any of the
political wisdom Of General Grant, who first
in his own administration of affairs promises
economy and retrenchment and recommends
the same much needed policy to the legislative
branch of the government, 1t will surely move
in the matter and act at once upon our sugges-
tion. With our suggestion the economists
and reformers in Congress can once more
direct their efforts to the removal Of the abuses
of the franking privilege. The opponents to
the change must be few, as opposition to such
q just and economic measure would assuradly
bring down on members the obloquy and odium
of their constituents.


The change which we here propose in the
franking system would embrace all the depart
ments Of the government, civil and military
The check to an undue and extravagant use or
misappropriation of postage stamps would lie
in the fact that the Postmaster General in his
annual report to the President for submission
to Congress and the country would be required
to make return of the amount of stamps
supplied to each Senator and Representative.
In the same way he would designate the
amount consumed by the heads of the various
departments, and thus would be insured not
only redress Of the present great abuses of the
franking privilege, but would show the extent
to which the Post Office Department would be
entitled to credit for its share in the perform
ance of the great work Of government.