fee of 10 cents. The writer of the letter sends by his agent, the mail service, his money, and pays extra fees for safety and security, and he is the one most interested in the money so entrusted to the care of the mails. It is his money that the above law sends back to him, under this law or through the Dead Letter Office, and prevents the thief from taking. Does he complain at this? No, no. It is the thief and his friend that complain. Why? Because their plan to swindle and rob is thwarted. The same may be said of the money order system. That branch of the Post Office Department receives money in trust to pay over; and when a known thief or swindler calls for it, and from a knowledge of his business we know the sender will lose every cent if placed in his hands, what is there in law and equity to prevent the sending of the money back to the party who entrusted the same to our safe keeping? Not to do this, is to make the postal service the agent and tool of the thief, swindler and smut dealer.

To take an extra fee for safety of valuables entrusted to this Department, and then to pass them over to a thief, is a mockery of all public policy and justice. As well may a clerk in a store pass over merchandise he is there to sell, to any vagabond who asks for it without paying for the same, or a bank pay out funds placed in their charge for safe keeping, to irresponsible and thieving applicants.

The postal service has a moral and legal responsibility. No department of government should become a tool or agent to assist a thief and swindler in deceiving, robbing or defrauding the honest and credulous ones.

Honest men have rights in the morals of their children, and the hard earnings of their daily toil, that government should respect.

If an official violates a law punish him severely. But let no fears that some one may do a wrong, prevent righteous laws from being enforced.

The howl about these may-possibly-be outrages, or "somebody might do a wrong by violating a law," are about on a par with a man who shall, on a severe winter's night, forbid his family having

a fire in his house, because if he had a fire by which his family could be protected and made comfortable from the inclemency of the weather, somebody might, if they were so inclined, heat a poker and run it into a keg of powder, or take a live coal and run out to the barn and set it on fire; or a druggist should never be allowed to keep any poisoned drug, for fear some clerk might, by neglecting his duty, make a mistake and do up that which might endanger the life of another; or arsenic should not be sold by any person to poison rats with, for fear some neighbor's cat, on a midnight marauding expedition, might possibly get hold of a dead rat and be poisoned thereby.

There is as much reason and sense in the above, as there is in all this twaddle we read and hear against the legal enforcement of laws made in the highest interest of the people.

I know our Postmaster-General requires legal and positive evidence of a business being unlawful and fraudulent before he acts, and then, I am happy and glad to know, he dares do his duty under the law and his oath of office, regardless of public clamor, or political intriguing on behalf of the offenders. Legal evidence against these schemers is the first essential. The chapter on "How the laws are enforced" discloses how this is secured.

CHAPTER XXX.

HOW THE LAWS ARE ENFORCED.

99.66 DECOY,' INDUCING MEN TO COMMIT CRIME,"

ETC.

We now come to deal with some of the specious arguments advanced in opposition to the enforcement of laws against the crimes outlined in this book.

I ask a careful consideration of this chapter, and feel sure that any thoughtful mind will see that the laws concerning the transmission of contraband matter through the mails can be, have been, and should be, (and by the grace of God will continue to be,) legally enforced.

The constant cry of "tampering with the mails," protests against "spies invading the mails," "opening other people's letters," "inducing men to commit crime," "decoying to ruin,' etc., has been kept up until many honestly believe that all these slanders and misrepresentations must be true. At least, they say, there must be fire when there is so much smoke. These are the efforts of the evil one, against moral purity and truth. I have for more than seven years been obliged to enforce these laws, and I have never seen an unlawful act done in this connection. I maintain that a man can fight the devil and do good service to both God and man, in this line.

do

you

The question more often asked than any other perhaps, is How you find out these crimes in the mail? and some are so foolish as to ask, How do you know which letters to suspect, or how do find which letter has contraband matter in it? Another one will wonder how these criminals can be caught and not interfere with other people's letters; they say, "Why, with the best of motives, I should think you would sometimes get hold of the wrong letters, and thereby meddle with letters that belong to other persons than the criminal," etc., etc.

All such simple ones are surprised to learn that we never fall into any such blunder, as no officer has occasion to do any of the things implied. No person could remain one day in the Post Office Department, or be retained in service one hour by the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, who would be guilty of such tampering with the mails. How is it then? I will explain.

THE LAW

says all obscene publications, and articles for indecent and immoral purpose are non-mailable; also, that no letter or circular concerning lotteries or other schemes to defraud, etc., shall be carried in the mails; and provides a penalty against any one who shall deposit or cause to be deposited any of this non-mailable matter in the mails.

Other laws, equally binding, punish with equal severity ail persons who tamper with the mails, and especially who shall intercept and open a letter belonging to another.

There is no one obligation more sacredly imposed, and binding on an employee of the Post Office Department, than to preserve unsullied the sanctity of the seal.

Absolute security, and rapid transit of all letters to the party addressed, are equally binding.

I have always held this, that notwithstanding that the law says "No obscene book shall be carried in the mail," and that I am. sworn to see that law enforced, yet, if I shall stand by and see a man do up in a scaled package, and address and put the necessary letter postage on, a book that I see and know to be obscene, and see him after thus sealing it put it in the mails, neither have I, nor has any other officer or person, a right to interfere with that book after it is placed in the inside of a post office or mail receptacle.

There is but one thing to do. It is scaled, and no person is presumed to know its contents; it must go to the office of destination. A case like this, however, has never occurred in my experience; so I may say that, if such a thing were done, all that I as an officer could legally do, in my opinion, would be to go to the office of destination with a subpoena from a United States

Court, and as soon as the book went from the custody of the Post Office Department into the hands of the party addressed, to subpoena the party and book into Court. This, however, is not practicable. How then have the hundreds of persons been arrested for violation of these laws? I reply.

By doing business with them, precisely as they invite the public to do by their printed advertisements and circulars. The newspaper and the mails are the most powerful agencies these men have, who make a business of debauching the minds, or robbing the public. The mails go everywhere; and many newspapers will print any advertisement for money, so long as it is not too gross. Altogether the most dangerous fraud, is the one that shuns the newspaper, and skulks behind the secrecy of the mail. The mails take all sealed packages that come properly addressed and stamped. The law does not contemplate meddling with sealed packages while in the mail in transit; but does intend punishing any person discovered sending any thing which Congress says shall not be deposited or carried in the mails, if detected, whether sent in sealed or unsealed wrappers.

Now the fraud or smut-dealer must advertise his schemes and wares in order to be successful; and it is by these circulars, etc., that the officer of the law gets his clue. A complaint comes from some parent or teacher, that the enclosed circular (which he sends) was received by some beloved child, and the earnest appeal is made, "cannot something be done to suppress this nefarious traffic?" Yes! but how? Are they willing to have their child brought into Court to testify? No. The very first sentence of this letter is oftentimes an appeal, not for any consideration to let the name of the child, or of the complainant be known. And this we always respect.

How then are the laws enforced? By correspondence.

Do just as the scoundrel invites you to do-send the amount set opposite the article he has for sale as he directs, and he says he will send the article in return. Now, we so send, following the rules of evidence as laid down by "Greenleaf in evidence," and "Russell on crimes," and what do we accomplish?