One Cent Letter Postage

Springiield (Mass.) Union : The shortest plank in the republlcan platform is this: " We demand the reUuction of letter postage to one cent per ounce." 'Iliis woulil make the postal service of the United States the cheapest in tlie world. We can well aftbrd the reduction. President Cleveland lias called attention to the pleüioric conditlon of the Treasury and pointed out the free trade plan as the ouly means of reducing the surplus. Tliis democratie administratlon has been nigardly in its treatuieut of the postal service, fearful that increased expeiidituresor diuiinihhed revenue froui that department would cut into the surplus nnd so damage the pretext for haeking away the protective tarift". But there is no departuient of the public service which comes so close lo the jjublic as the postal department. We are a Xiitiou ot letter writers, and with cvery reduction of letter postage the business of letter carrying has greatly increased. Since the reduction from 3 cents to 2 cents theexpected defict in the postal revenue bas been nearly removed. The increase from the half ounce to the ounce has not hartned the revenue pruceptibly. Every mili of rednction has been a direct saving to the people, while encouiajdnj; Increased correspoudence and disatmination of intelllgence. The reduction of letter postage to one cent per ounce nicans a reduction of 50 per cent in the tux which the people pay for tbe transmission and deüvery of tlielr correspondeoce. Kor a time the postoffioe revenuel vvoulil be reduced, but what of that? The postal service was never Intended to be a source of government revenue. In fact it bas cost the treasury lar;e sums of inoncy in y':ns paal!, and the people never grumbled at the expeniiiture. But one cent postnge wil I cause a defict for only i few years. We can well ift'nl it atul we must liHve it.