The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-12-04
RALEIGH. N. @. DECEMBER 4 1894

IS simply applying modern methods in
stead of antiquated ones, to the postal
service which we already have. IL this
Is paternalism, then the postofice itself
is paternalism. Either give US mod
ern postofice with the promptest and
best facilities or else turn the postoffice
over to the western Union to run.
The number of postoffices in country
districts should be trebled and a tele
phone placed in each. Every post
master can use a telephone and there
would be only a few points at which
the telegraph requiring additional
clerks would be required to forward
long distance messages. The plant for
the entire United States, it is estimated
by experts, reporting to Congress.
would cost under twenty miiliou dol
lars while the Western Union" has
watered its stock up to one hundred
millions and last year, notwithstand
ing hard times, declared over six mil
lion dollars net earnings or fully 334
per cent. on what it would cost the
government to establish q better sys
tenn reaching to every postof1ce in the
whole country and with far lower
rates. The Western Union not only
maintains powerful lobby constantly
at Washington to prevent the adoption
of peoples telegraph and telephone
but it is said gives nearly every mem
Der of Congress and Senator, if not all,
as soon as elected, frank to do all his
telegraphing free. 1t cannot be
thought that this will directly influ
ence many but it dulls their feeling of
the great tax the present heavy tele
graphic rates are upon the industry of
the country. At any rate the Western
Union must find their advantage in the
custom or it would not be kept up
Macy Legislatures, OF each of the great
parties, have petitioned Congress for
this improvement in our postal service.
The North Carolina lower house once
in recent years unanimously passed
resolution to that effect which only
failed in the Senate for lack of time. It
might well be passed again. Nopoliti-
cal party has antagonized this measure.
The Populists alone have endorsed it,
but as it is a good and proper measure
this will not prejudice it in the eyes of
any other party for they alone endorsed
in their platform the income tax which
Congress, by the votes of their political
opponents, enacted into law.
ELECTION OF POsTMAsTERs.
5. The only objection of any force
urged against the postoffce adding the
telegraph and telephone to improve it's
service is the increased number of gov
ernment employees. Aside from the
fact that those employees can be
welded more dangerously in politics if
controlled by a corporation, it must be
remembered that the postal clerks and
other subordinates are now mostly
under the civil service law. As to the
postmasters it would be wise step to
decentralize, and at the same time les
sen the strain of a presidential election,
by electing the postmasters by the peo-
pie in each postoffice district. We shall
yet come to this and the sooner the
better.
ELECTION LAWS
6. There will be some change, of
course, in election laws. Public senti-
ment has already brought this about
in England, Australia, Canada and in
"a of the States of this Union. Not only
should the ballot be fairly cast and
counted but election contributions
should be reduced and made public as
in New York and elsewhere. Other
wise elections will soon be only mat
ter of money. The electorate will be-
come debauched and only rich men,
who can contribute largely to the cam
paign fund will be possible as candi.
dates. Nominations will become prac-
tically for sale. In addition to the
remedies so wisely adopted and sue
cessfully in operation in England, and
elsewhere, these two new ones are
modestly suggested. o. The number
of voting precincts should be not less
than three in each township properly
distributed over the township. This
would bring out the fullest expression
of the popular will by enabling each
man to vote by going only short dis
tance. As there are 100000 voters in
North Carolina if each man now should
vote, and should lose q whole day at
the election, as many do who go sew
eral miles to vote, the cost would be
S4OO 600 in the value of lost time. In