The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-02-09

| To-Day goes to the people out in the
country in cheap form with paper cover.
| Coins Financial School and books
OF that kind have gone through the
mails to possibly every post office in
America, and more are going This -
cuts all these books out of the mails.
Is that the purpose of those who favor
| this Dill? The man who lives in a city
can buy them at a news stand. The
| man who lives in the country and who
relies upon the postal system to bring
him in touch with civilization, is de-
pendent upon the mails to give him
the benefits that the man who lives in
city or who rides frequently upon a
train is not so dependent upon. The
| professed reason for this bill is reform
and economy, but those who come and
ask you to pass it in the interest Of
economy are those who vote for more
SUBSIDIES, and those who vote to take
more millions out of the treasury Of
the government than any other class of
men in the senate and in the house.
And yet, in the name of reform ana
In the name of economy, they come
here and ask you to pass bill that robs
the people of half the benefits they to-
day get from the postal system.
Mr. President, the bill would be in
famous in its results if it should pass.
If the people Of this country knew what
is in this bill, there would be such in
dlgnatlon from ocean to ocean. as has
not been seen for twenty years. The
American people would never tolerate
such measure when they knew what is
in it and what will be the results.
l will present a minority report to-
morrow, and if those who profess to
want reform, mean reform In the in
terests of the general public; If those
who profess to want to stop the deficit
in the postoftice department mean that
IN good faith, I can point them to a
way to accomplish that result. I can
show how the postotIice department
can save from S10,o0000O to $4,000 900
q year by simply paying the railroads
for the mail actually hauled and at the
contract price and no more. The gov
ernment pays the railroads for a great
deal more weight than the roads really
haul. 1t is the fault Of the govern.
ment that this is done. Besides the
contract price is entirely too high.
During the last twenty years freight
rates have been reduced about 40 per
cent, yet the government is now pay
ing about the same rates that it did
twenty years ago. Why do not those
who are so much concerned about the
deficit in the postoffice department turn
their attention to these leakages and
gross abuses? Let those who profess
to favor economy and reform help t.
correct these abuses
Mr. President, we today not only pay
the railroads nearly $3O,OOO00O a year
to haul mails, bat we also pay them
rent for the cars in which the mail is
carried. We pay rent for cars when we
pay freight charges? Besides, the rent
we pay for the cars each year would
pay for the cars in year or two. Why
not own our cars and pay the railroads
a certain price to haul them? lnese
are the reforms needed. They VIII stop
the deficit and not rob the people of
any of the blessings they now enjoy
from the postal system. These changes
would result in such economy that the
postoffice department would have a sur
plus instead Of deficit
But, Mr.. President, If the people must
fits Of the postal system to stop a small
deficit of sS,000OoO, then, say let --e
deficit stand. There is no way that the
money could be expended that means
so much for the general public.
Think of it-s32, 100000 paid to the
railroads each year for what mail ...ey
carry, while the whole mail star route
system OF the country costs only a lit
tie over $5,0Oo,O00 a year.
Mr.. President, enough can be saved
on what is paid the railroads in two
years to buy every telegraph line in --.e
country and establish a postal tele-
graph in connection with the pcstoinca
system.
If you want reform; if you want econ
omy; if you want to make both ends
meet and at the same time benefit the
public, that is the way TO do it. The
facts are too plain and positive to be de-
MED or even questioned. A postal tel
egraph would mean that all the avenues
and agencies of information would be
open and free to all alike.
Mr. President, that biIl-and l adj
dress my remarks now to the Republi-
can side Of the senate-will close down
many enterprises, like the Republicans
say a reform tariff bill will. This bill
will close down legitimate enterprises
that are today in operation. 1t will
throw people out of employment. 1t
will put the book business in the hands
of smaller number than those who
are now in it. How can any man who
c,x,c bo Oorocor 4bo roduotioo of 4bo