The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-04-25
-Correspondenee Of DE Citizen.
WASHINGTON, April II, 1875

WASHINGTON, April II, 1878.
Our greatest blessings are the
least priced because they are com
mon-almost universal. Pure air
and water are essential to animal
life, but who thanks the good Lord
for either? When we happen to
think Of it we are conscious of hav-
ing the best postal system { consid-
ering the extent OF our territory to
be found in the world. Think for
a moment of the extent and com
prehensiveness of this immense sys
tenn which reaches not only every
hamlet and house ia the Union, but
extends by mail steamers (mostly
foreign) to every civilized country
on the globe. The old time post
master at Hardscrabble who walked
TO a stage station five miles away
for his mail and carried it home in
his hat, the old time post rider with
his saddle bags, clambering YEARLY
over hills and laundering through
swamps, and even the Pony Express
to the Pacific with regiment of lit
tie heroes for riders are nearly all
extinct.
MAIL SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES.
Whatever the government may
have achieved or left undone in
other departments, the people have
demanded all the time increased ia
cilities and cheaper postage. This
demand has been responded to from
time to time, until now the dissem-
nation of intelligence by mail Is
all-pervading and almost as cheap
as the light of heaven. For the
year ending June Both, 1877, there
were in the United States 1924
public mail routes aggregating in
length (including the short routes
of mali messengers) more than
100000 miles with an annual trans
portation of 100000 miles, equal
ing a daily transportation of more
than 100000 miles. OF these pub
lie routes 74,546 miles were on rail
roads, 1861 miles by steamboats,
and 200,5S9 miles were on roads
where the mails were carried by
stages, wagons, on horseback or
foot back. The immense work is
mostly paid by postage stamps;
carrying half ounce letters at three
cents each, newspapers at two cents
pound, and other printed matter
or merchandise at a half cent or
one cent an ounce. The expense of
running this vast and complicated
machinery for the year in question
amounted to S33, 4S6, 322.44 exceed
ing the receipts by the sum of
So, 954, 737.1S.
USE AND ABUSE OF SUBSIDIES.
This last amount of about six
millions was pure subsidy, right
eously granted for the benefit of
the more sparsely settled States and
territories. Only six States in the
Union pay postage in excess of the
cost of mail transportation within
their limits. Yet the fiercest anti
subsIdist in Congress makes no
complaint because a letter costs
him only three cents instead of
twenty FIVE cents, as was the case
forty or fifty years ago. The post
age stamp with its application to
cheap postage was an invention
worth more to us than the dIscov-
cry of a thousand new planets or
and the permanent estab-
lishment of cheap postage by sub
sidy, has returned the expenditure
to the government a thousand fold
in the extension of settlement and
the general diffusion of intelligence.
1t is the abuse, and not the
proper use of a subsidy that has
made this word odious in the minds
of people. 1t is the business of a
true statesman to correct abuses,
instead of trying to howl himself
back to Congress through a storm
of blind prejudice.
CONGRESS ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
The worst abused subsidy ever
granted in America was that be-
slowed upon the Union and Cen
trail Pacific railroad companies. 1t
to nearly $200,000,000 in
land and government bonds. A
large portion OF the money subsidy
was absorbed amongst a few lead
ing stockholders; Congress was in
duced to change its first, to a Sec
ond lien, as security for interest
and principal of bonds; then other
millions were raised on first mort
gagged bonds, and by means of a
technicality in the law the compa-
MES refused to pay accruing inter
est on the government bonds loaned
to them. This interest amounting
to about SIS, 100000 year has been
paid by the people, and in the mean
time these roads, having a complete
of trans-continentai traf-
fic, have taxed the people seven or
eight millions year in the shape
of exorbitant charges for transpor
tation between the Mississippi and
the Pacific. But the rarest sight of
all is the spectacle of these roads,
more especially the Central Pacific,
pious and patriotic, and de-
nouncing in the severest terms
everything that has even the SEM
blance OF subsidy. 1t reminds one
of the smart thief who has just
stolen a watch from a jeweler, and
manages to join the crowd in the
general hue and cry of "stop thiefr'
as they rush through the streets,
while the real culprit is the loudest
shouter in the wild chase.
DANGER OF NEW TROUBLE.
But Congress is not deceived by
this shout of simulated patriotism,
and the Senate, in the passage of
the funding bill by a two-thirds ma
jority, has set down upon this pow
erful and rapacious monopoly in
way that will bring honest dealing
or a dishonoraale death. No doubt
exists that the Senate bill will pass
the House by a decisive majority,
and then will come the question as
to the result of this legislative dis
cipline. If the delinquents can find
no loop hole in the law, through
which to escape, it will be in order
and in keeping with the principles
Of the great monopolists, to still ad
vance their CHARGES on transnorta