SOLON ROBINSON, 1844 389 



Postage Tax, "a plain view," made plainer. 



[Daily Cincinnati Gazette, July 10, 1844] 



Lake C. H. Ia. June 16, 1844. 



Messrs Editors. — Some two or three years since I 

 gave my views upon the subject of reducing the postage 

 upon letters, which was favorably received. May I again 

 intrude upon your columns. This subject is one of such 

 vast importance to the "poor mothers" of the country 

 that I am surprised that the press generally take so little 

 interest in the matter. 



The little paragraph in the Gazette, May 30th, headed 

 "a plain view," is so plain that any reflecting mind that 

 will carry out the time of reasoning, naturally, induced 

 by that article, must cry out against the odious and 

 abominable postage tax now inflicted upon this country 

 by our "Democratic Government." 



And that article has further shown me that I am guilty 

 of doing unto others, that is those "poor mothers," not 

 as I would be done by, because I have not continued to 

 raise "an outcry against it." 



From a long experience as postmaster, I am able to 

 speak advisedly upon the subject, and I do say that I 

 know that many, very many are restrained from holding 

 friendly intercourse with distant connexions, solely on 

 account of the exhorbitant rates of postage. And I have 

 forwarded a great many letters to General Post Office as 

 "dead," (though not half so dead to all generous emo- 

 tions as our rulers are,) because the persons, and some 

 of those actual poor mothers, were unable to take them 

 out. I speak the honest conviction of my heart when I 

 say, that I fully believe that all country post offices would 

 mail ten times as many letters at a universal postage of 

 5 cents, as they now do : and take the Union through, and 

 I as surely believe that in less than two years the number 

 would be more than five times as many, and would conse- 

 quently increase the revenue, instead of decreasing it; 

 particularly if the system of prepaying was adopted. And 

 this system I think should be adopted after giving six 



