Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-30
Reforms That Would Reform.

The Providence Or. ~ Telegram seconds
our proposal to allow postal cards TO pass
through the mails on which are pasted
little newspaper clippings. That paper
we'll describes the proposal a. "one OF
those apparently Insignificant reforms
which are 80 simple that when they arc
accomplished wo wonder how we got
along without them" This reform Is of
that sort exactly. It needs only 10 be sug-
ges.ed in order TO be favored. Congress
men seldom originate postal reforms. or
indeed we might say reforms of any kind
but they arc not slow to adopt such
measures az they think the people
regard with q friendly eye. Indeed.
we cannot conceive il 20 be posi-
BILE that Congress would refuse to
authorize the suggested regulation II
it were once pressed upon the attention
of that body. In its operation such regu-
lation would be n contributor TO the cause
of education. But is for the merits 1t
would itself develop from the moment OF
its adoption by the Post Office Department
that we advocate it. Every day men, and
cSDtcluilH NOntus n'EA'Nh W AiAASA - N''N'+
friends scattered throughout the country
of little happenings which they would
never fail TO bring to their notice Il II
could be done in tho way we suggest, but
which little happenings they do not deem
proper subject for formal letter. 1t IS
not because II would save cent IN post
age that the people would favor such a
regulation, but because 1t would enable
them to keep their friends posted IN re-
gard to large number of little mattors OF
daily occurrence which now never reach
them.
Another proposed reform which we have
for several years advocated upon OCCASION
is favored oy tho Louisville COTtsr-JohW-
na'. We allude 10 the free delivery OF mail
matter in the rural districts, or at any rate
in villages and hGmlets. This reform. Ike
the one above named, would have an
educating effect upon the whole body
polite. We quote our Louisville contem-
porary as follows:
"a resideut in the country goes one, three,
five miles TO the post-ofice after his mall rs MS
forefatnors did, and many times he IS LUCKY 10
receive his paper and lettors once 4 week.
1T right here that postal reform ought TO
begin. The railway station aud the steamboat
landing ought 10 become the centre u Local
postal eystem whose ramhcatous sholld reach
70 the renOtest farmhouse 80 that tho Isolated
inhabitants Of our county might feel the thru
OF life which the denizeD " the city does whom
he drops q letter 20 a friend around the
corner in the assurance that it will b. received
within the hour.
"Caroful reflection will conyincs almost any
one that free delivery Of the mails in the rural
districts Is OF vastly move importance 10 tho
country as a whole than penny postage would
be-"
VASTLY more" and even demagogues
may find out the fact II they raise the cry
Of penny postage" as against rural free
delivery. letter postage IS cheap enough.
Let II stand as 1t now stands until the Post
Office Department snail have succeeded in
doing "a much for the country people ~
it has already done for the city people.
Let Us have rural delivery and postal-card
transmission Of notices OF deaths. sick
ness, marriages &C., before we think OF
reducing letter postage.