The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-05-26
WhAI IS STAR ROUTE.

a "star route" is route where the
mails are carried other than by steam
that is, by stages, or On horseback.
They are called ''star routes because
in the Postoiiice Department they are
designated by an asterisk. And this
reminds us that the contractors ring at
Washington il not content with the
''star route" service i'm the wild west,
but il has its agents in almost every
state. Their niethOsl has been to bid
off u route at u much lower price than
that for which the service can be per-
formed. They then get some party Ia
carry the mail for u time. and then
throw mp the contract. Ii the bnsi-
mesa was honestly managed, the con-
tract would then lie aw artled the next
highest bidder, but inst cad of this the
ring has been able to make M arrange
uncmt by which some one representing
il is employed Ia perform the service
during the entire periOed. 1t Is said
that the ring controls routes In all parts
of the country, and that one Of the
representatives has recently been In
Maine anI other eastern states. ionk-
ins up rout..sf for tbs service of which
they would have bid at the lnil,lin,
lettings but for the preseil istropl,c.
-I.o;fon journal.
Canon Farraf recently remarked that
drunkenness in the middle and upper
classes was now the exception and not
the rule; but he very much doubted
whether that was the ease with the
lower orders. People said that drunk
enness was the vice III n minority, but
there were hundreds Of thousands Of
working men and women who, al
though never seen drunk in the streets,
were running themselves by drinking
just short Of intoxication. This, how
ever. had to he remembered, namely.
that the poor had a far greater multi
plicity OftemptatiOns than the wealthy.
The latter did not live with public
houses around them on every side, in
narrow and confined rooms with OPP
pressive atInOspheres, and with sani-
tary conditions which induced q crav-
ing for stimulants. Again, there was
the rapidity Of the intoxicants used by
the poor, they being chiefly gin in
England and whiskey in Scotland
and Ireland. In the middle and up
per classes spirits were not generally
used.
The Post cOnmen t. rs follows on the
designations Of Senators COnk ling and
Plaft: They have resigned in q PIT be-
cause they have not been allowed 10
have their own way. The act IL con-
ten,ptible In its childishness. Iftheir
object Is TO revenge themselves upon
the President and Republican party,
il is not only proceeding undignifIesl
and unmanly, but il Is not clear ~ to
how il Ii can be efFSctual If they are
seeking "endOrsnent" Of their con-
duct by the means Of q reelection the
experiment il dangerous To make with
the legislature that . little while ago
unanimously approved the nOnIiDa-
ton Of Robertson. Perhaps, altef all.
the simplest explanation Is the true
one. Perhaps Conkling and Plat
have c0neluded that il the senate h |
anything more than an instrument Tor |
distribution Of patronage, their Occu-
patton b gone. They can do the State |
M further service. IL this shall turn
out tn be truth, the grateful people viii
treat them magnanimously and will
even share advefSe comment that moth |
ing In their political life has become
them like their leaving 1t.