The Globe-republican., 1900-08-16
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.

Rural free delivery OF mail is the
offspring of the Mckinley administra-
ton of the postoffice department Its
development from the Insignificant be-
ti4n of $40, 900 for the fiscal year which
cls sed in 1897 to its present ma gnificent
proportions, with the rural routes num-
bered by the thousands and an appro-
priation of s1.750. 900 voted for its
further extension during the present
fiscal year, has all been brought about
by the Mckinley government
A movement to broaden the free de-
livery of the mails was started by
Postmaster General Wanamaker, under
the Republican administration of Gen.
Harrison 1t took the form of village
free delivery, and was more an extern
sion of city delivery to smaller com
InunitieS than free delivery to farm
eTs. But, limited was it's scope and
successful though it was in increasing
postal receipts and postal facilities, it
encountered Democratic opposition ;
and when Mr. Cleveland came in, his
pos tmaster general, fearing its effect in
pOpu1arizing Republican principles and
disseminating Republican literature, or
dered it dropped.
1t was a Republican administration
that conceived and executed the idea of
Frightening the home of the farmer,
educating his children. increasing the
provement of the roads, and bringing
him news of the markets and of the
weather, so as to secure him a better
price for his crops by delivering his
daily mail to him on his farm. Every
Democratic house of representatives
since the idea was first preached of
carrying the mails to the rural dis
tricts has declared against it. The
FOrty-third Congress, with a Democrat
from North Carolina chairman OF
the committee on postoff1 ces and post
roads, proclaimed the plan impossible
and turned it down. Postmaster Gen
era1 Bissell. Postmaster General Will
son, and First Assistant Postmaster
General Jones. in the Cleveland admin
istration, all took UP the cry of eX-
travagance and impOSSi Utility of execu-
ton. Consequently, little or nothing
was done to give the farmers access to
the mails till Cleveland went out OF
Office.
When First Assistant Postmaster
rural service under the direction OF
the president and the postmaster gen
eraI, 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.. Wanamaker' S
village delivery The Official reports OF
the postoff1ce department record that
it was almost with surprise that Presi-
dent Mckinley and those to whom he
intrusted the administration of postal
affairs learned that there was such a
thing as an experimental rural free-de-
livery mail service in progress.
They at once grasped its possibilities
and advocated it's imm ediate develop
ment, and a Republican congress gen
erOus1y seconded their efforts Under
their vivifying touch it has grown I'M
til there is now not state in the union
cationa1 influence of rural free mail
delivery and not one that does not de-
sire a further expansion of the service
On the LIST of June, 1900, there were
200 rural services in actual operation
and 1000 applications for an extension
of the system in process of establish
ment by special agents detailed for that
purpose.
The appropriations for the rural free
delivery service have been increased
| from $50 900, in the fiscal year 1898
| to $3.50 900 in 1s98-99; then to $3.50 ,00(
| in 1s99-19Oo, and lastly to 81, 750, 600 for
! the present fiscal year, 19OO-1901.
| Three years experience has shown
| that in well-se1ected rural districts the
| mails can be distributed to the domi-
| Giles of the addresses in boxes
| placed within reasonable distance OF
| the farmers home, at some cross-road
| or other convenient spot, at cost pei
piece not exceeding that of the free
delivery in many of the cities of the
| United States In the vast majority OF
| communities where it has been tested
| the rural free delivery service has OBJ
| tanned so strong a hold that public
| sentiment would not permit it's discon-
| tinuance- 1t has been a revolution
| and revolutions do not move back
| ward.
1t costs very little more than the ole
| colonial style of postal service which
| it supersedes, and it invariably brings
| a large and compromising increase il
| the amount of postal receipts turned
| into the treasury But even if it doe.
| cost more than the obsolete old plan
| are not the farmers entitled to some OF
| the benefits of the government which
| they help SO literally to support by
| their taxation? The country can well
| afford to continue and extend a system
| which makes better citizens and hap
| f-iI J,r