Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-16


possession Of them all in the name OF the
people. ~
Free Delivery of Mail Matter.
How long since the DISPATCH was, or
seemed to be, the only paper in the United
States which advocated the free delivery
OF mail matter in every town or village
whose postmaster handled enough OF such
matter to employ in its delivery the SER
vices all the time of even one manp How
long since we quoted ANTHONY TRoLLorE
TO show that England was far ahead OF the
United States with respect to bringing near
| TO one another the writers and the re-
ceiyers Of letters? How long, in word,
since the attention of the public IN TINS
country was turned for even moments
day to this important subject! 1t seems
as il it were but yesterday when the postal
reform of having all mail matter prepaid
was tried q. an experiment. IL is but Anew
years since the rates OF postage upon news
papers were regulated by tale instead OF
by weight. Think of it. that sensible
businessmen could for century have
| failed to learn that mail matter must be
weighed instead of counted, and the post
age upon it paid at the Office of mailing
| and not ut the office of delivery. The ola
system was disgrace to the businessmen
of this country. Its existence argued that
there we're no men here who possessed any
of the qualifications needed in the heads OF
the several bureaus of the Post-Office De-
partment. The postal system had got into
a rut. and there WAS nobody strong enough
TO pull it out of the rut until HonAcE
GnEEIKY-who never pretended to nave
sny business ability-took the matter IN
hand. and made prepayment of postage
upon every pound of matchmaker the dis
tingushing feature Of the new postal sys-
TEN.
We we're glad to follow Mr.. GEErIxr's
lead. and did follow II, From the first this
paper advocated his proposed postal re-
form-advocated it 80 zcalously as to cause
some persons to wonder why we were so
anxious to pay the postage upon the papers
We sent through the mails instead OF favor
ing the old plan of making each subscriber
pay his own postage at the ONCE OF de-
livery. And yet this preposterously alb
surd system had continued to be the law
of the land for nearly century. The
postmasters scattered all over the land.
from Maine to California. were re-
ouired each man of them to collect
at the Office Of delivery the post
age upon newspapers. Twenty thousand
subscribers were called upon to pay the
hostage which tho Government now COL
lects from the one man who prints the
newspaper. But we have not told the
whole story; for letters were sent in like
manner without having stamps upon
them (there were no stamps used them,
and without having paid the postal rates.
| If n moro indetensible and unbusiness-
like postal system ever disgraced any
country in the world We do not know what
country 1t was.
| Mr.. GsrELEy's paper--the paper which
he not only founded but cstablished-con-
tinues to keep step to the music of an i'm
| proved and O constantly improving postal
system. In its issue Of Wednesday last il
says:
"Thc iong-delayed experiment Of FREQ posta
delivery in small towns Ii now being tried by the
Post-oflce Department. Its success, under fall
conditions, Is not doubtful. Indeed, free delivery
everywhere is only question Of time. 1t Is thu
rule oil over Great Britain and Ireland.
"The present system Of holding letters In thu
country post-ofioe until called for completed,
ignores the rights and tho convenience OF th'
sender-the man who pays the postago-whos'
interest in the delivery OF bis letteris far CREATE
than that of tho sddressse. The talk OF thu
post-ofrce being q social centre Is wide OF thu
question and 10 q mere pretext at best"
The Tribune makes good point when i
says that it is the man who pays the post
age whose interest ought to be consulted
in this matter. 1t Is not the fault Of thu
man who has written the letter and paiC
the postage upon 1t that the lazy or indif
ferent person to whom 1t is addressed doe
not visit the post-ofice more than once
week. 1t IL the fault Of the system that h
does not visit 1t more frequently. He vii
be educated by the new system. He vii
take his place among the intclligcn
patrons Of good postal system and assis
in forming public opinion in his neigh
borhood which will gradually convince tn
general public that he and his neighbor
are no longer unworthy Of the respect o
, the world at large. The "socisl centres
that will result from wakingup every littl
, village to an interest in the wide worl'
will contrast with the non.intelligent sc
cial centres" alluded to by the Tribune
the sun contrasts with the moon.
, Free delivery 10 city and country; tn
| rates of postage &c be the same upo
, every pound of postal matter Except let
ters); no wholesale dealers in Government
favors; the privilege of writing messag
, upon tho margin Of paper upon whic
/ one full rate of letter postage has bee
paid; these and other reforms will be il
order as soon as universal frec-deliver,
shall have become an accomplished fact.