The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-10-12
RURAL MAIL SERVICE
STARTED BY M'KINLEY.
History of the Daily Delivery
in the Country.
Democrats Said that the Plan Was I'M
practicable, but the Republicans
Have Thoroughly Demonstrated
It's Value 10 Farmers.

Rural free delivery Of mail is the off
spring Of the Mckinley administration
of the Postoftice Department. Its de-
veiopment from an insignificant begin
ming Of forty-four routes and an appro-
prOatiCn for the iSca! year which closed
In 1897 to it's present magnificent pro-
portions with the rural routes numbered
10y the thousands and an appropriation
of 81, 100, 900 voted for its further extern
sion during the present fiscal year, has
all been brought about by the Mckinley
administration.
A movement to broaden the free deiiv
cry of the mails was started by Post
master General Wanamaker under the
Republican administration Of Gen. Har-
s.iSon. 1t took the form of village free
delivery, and was more an extension of
city delivery to smaller communities than
a free delivery to farmers, but limited as
was it's scope and successful though it
was in increasing postal receipts and
postal facilities, it encountered Demo
cratic opposition. When Mr.. Cleveland
came in. his Postmaster General fearing
Its effect in popularizng Republican prin-
cipleS and disseminating Republican lit
sSCAIQIP, Ofuefeu III dropped.
1t was a Republican administration
shat conceived and executed the idea of
Frightening the home of the farmer, edu-
eating his children. increasing the value
of his land, compelling the Improvement
OF the roads, and bringing the news Of
the markets and the weather so as to Sc
cure him a better price for his crops by
delivering daily his mail to him on his
farm. Every Democratic House Of Rep
Tesfntativps since the idea was first
.broached Of carrying the mails into the
Gural districts, has declared against it..
1he FOrry-third Congress, with "A Demo
;crat from North Carolina as chairman of
she committee on pOStOflices and post
E0ads, proclaimed the plan impossible,
mad turned it down. Postmaster Gen
saral BiSseil. Postmaster General Wilson
snd First Assistant Postmaster General
Jones in the Cleveland administration
all took up the cry of extravaganza and
zmpossibility of execution. Consequently
sittle or nothing was done to give the
farmers access to the mails until Glove
iand went out of office
When First Assistant Postmaster
SseneraI Perry s. Heath took up the
4
President and the Postmaster General in
March. 1897. it was languishing to the
point Of eXtinguiShment, and in a few
months more would have been starved to
death, like Mr.. Wanamakpr'S village de-
livery. The official reports Of the Post
office Department record that it was with
surprise that President Mckinley and
those 10 whom he entrusted the admins
-1ration of postal affairs, learned that
there was such a thing as an expert
mental rural free delivery mail service
in progress.
They ut once grasped its possibilities
and advocated its immediate development
and a Republican Congress generously
seconded their efforts. Under this vivi
flying touch, it has grown until there is
not now a State in the Union that has
not felt the civiliZing and educational in
tiuence of rural free mail delivery, and
not one that does not desire a further
expansion of the service. On the LIST OF
June, 1900. there were 1900 rural ser
vices in actual operation and 1000 APP
plcatiOnS for an extension Of the system
IN process of establishment by special
agents appointed for the purpose.
The appropriations for the rural free
delivery service have been increased from
$4,000 in the fiscal year 1898 to $3.50,
900 in 1S9S99, and then to $4,000 in
3S99-190O. and lastly TO $1.750, 900 for
4he present fiscal year 19G0-01
Three years experience has shown that
In well-Selectcd rural districts the mails
can be distributed to the domiciles of the
addresses or in boxes placed within rea-
ic+o Oe hN
at some cross roads or other convenient
spot at cost per piece not exceeding
shat of the free delivery in many of the
cities of the United States. In the vast
ma jority of communities where 1t has
been tested. the rural free delivery ser
vice has obtained so strong hold that
public sentiment would not permit its dis
continuance. 1t has been a revolution
and revolutions do not move backward
1t costs very little more than the old
colonial style of postal service which il
supersedes. and it invariably brings a
large and cOmpensating increase in the
amount of postal receipts turned into the
treasury. But even il it does cost more
than the obsolete old plan. are not the
farmers entitled to some of the benefits
OF the government which they help so lib
orally to support by their taxes? The
country can well afford to continue and
extend system which makes better citi-
2ens and happier homes and contributes
largely to the mental, moral and material
advancement Of all the people.
Rural free delivery of mail has come
70 stay. and the Republican administra-
fion which brought it into being will stay
with it,
Grade Expansion in South America
According to the Manufacturer. the
present Disturbances in China have en-
pbasiZed the necessity of American man.
nfacturers developing an outlet for their
goods in Central and South America
above what they now control Produc-
fion has reached a point Of DEVELOPMENT
that manufacturers are seeking every
outlet for the production Of their mills
and works. Quite number of the lead.
ing exporters are looking south for new
fields Of enterprise. This Is as It should
br. for the more goods that are manufac-
tured and exported the greater the nros.
perity and chance for wage workers at
home.
Growth of Foreign Commerce,
Our foreign commerce under Republi.
can administration in 1900 was worth