National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-07-22
THE FAST NAIL.

The Democrats of the ex-Confederate
House have succeeded in inaugurating sue
cessfully one reform. We shall not hest
tate to give them all the credit due them
for this act, and we have no doubt that the
people of the country will justly appreciate
and properly reward the performers. The
fast mail trains are discontinued. They
were Republican continuance to accom-
modste the people of the country and pro-
mote business interests, and the ex- Confed-
crates have reformed them out of existence.
Could we have an ex, Confederate, dough
face Senate and railroad grabbing, reform
President the probabilities are that all our
mail facilities would be abolished.
The fast mail trains have been run at a
loss to the railroads from the beginning.
They were an experiment, and So far as
the transmission of the mails was concerned
a successful one. The business men OF the
country, North, South, Est and West,
were all benefited. In fact, all classes of
the community were benefited, except the
railroads which transported the mails.
They lost money by the fast trains. But
they demonstrated that trains could be run
with regularity, certainty and safety at a
high rate of speed, and expected Congress
to provide for the payment of an adequate
compensation. Instead of SO doing Con-
gress reduced the rates previously allowed
and the appropriations to such an extent
that the Postmaster General cannot pay
even the sums previously allowed. The
result is that to-day is the last on which
the fast mail trains will be run. The eX-
Confederates have reformed" them out
In future the mail service from and to
New York and the West will be
local train leaving New York at $50 a.
m, and doing way service through to Buff
falo. Coming East, the train leaves Buffalo
at 5 a. M, runs to Albany, where it stops
all night, leaving that city at 10 a. m. on
the following morning. This will be all
the local service on the line of the road,
except that by means of closed pouches,
and absolutely does away with the distri-
button of through mails in transit, and will
delay all mails in transit, except between
the larger cities, from twenty -four to forty
eight hours. The same effect will be felt
along the line of the Lake Shore road. The
Pennsylvania road withdrsws all postal ser
vice except on the Cincinnati express West
and Atlantic express East No bulk mails
viii be carried upon the limited mail West
or upon the day express or fast line East.
This curtails and almost absolutely does
away with the prompt transmission Of
mails between the East and West, except
ing those mails and the section of the
country reached by the Cincinnati ex-
press on the Pennsylvania road, which for
mail purposes is one of the best in the
country. No change is made in the mail
facilities between New York and Wash
ington, except the withdrawal of the mails
from the train reaching Washington at
noon, and the mails after Saturday will
not be received here until $40 p. N.
Thus much the ex Confederates will
have effected in the way of the reform, 1"
and we ask the business men of the coun-
try to give them full credit for it. Repub-
licans endeavored to give the people the
very best facilities for inter-communicatiop
Democrats deny it 10 them. Let the re-
sponsibility rest where it belongs.