Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-12-27
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES.


WHERE ALiTTLE THOUGHT IS NEEDED.
From Union County, Ohio, has come
an appeal for The Tribune Farmer to
take up the cudgels against the United
States Government with special reference
to the free rural mail delivery system,
which is growing in Importance every
day, and bids fair to overshadow some
other divisions of the postal service be.
fore it is through growing. AS is well
known, the postal authorities insist that
certain well defined and explicit rules
shall be followed by those who desire
the benefits of the service, one of them
being that the roads over which the car
rier must travel on any proposed route
shall be kept in condition sufficiently
good to prevent delays in transit. To this
our correspondent takes exception, in
the following language:
Is it a valid reason that we should be
deprived of our rights as American citi-
zens simply because we are so unfortu-
nate as to live on a dirt road, and through
no fault of our own? If our government
can't give all its people free rural deliv-
cry 1t should discontinue the service and
treat all its people alike.
Our correspondent takes an erroneous
view of the service and its limitations
and requirements. The fact that he
lives on a dirt road has no bearing what
soever on the question of free rural de-
livery in his district, so long as the road
is in good order. The government does
not demand that the farmers shall build
asphalt or macadam or stone highways
xx,ho tbr ic ballad
but it does insist, and with perfect JUS
tice, that the road, of whatever material
1t may be constructed, shall be In such
condition that the carrier may travel
over it rapidly and safely. The necessity
for this should be so apparent to every
one as to place the question beyond the
pale of argument. The government also
requires that where houses are situated
back or away from the road only short
distance, boxes for the reception of mail
matter shall be placed where the carrier
can conveniently reach them. The rights
of no citizens are denied by this rule,
which is for the common good. The
government has the same warrant for
demanding that the roads shall be fit for
the carrier to travel over that it has for
insisting that his time shall not be taken
up by journeys of four, ten or forty rods
away from the road to reach a house
which has been built back from the high
way. The writer of this complaint
seems to think that the government has
some plan for DISTINGUISHING" farmers
who live along the lines of dirt roads.
There is no question affecting the right
70 Inv, in dop,opdc Of ha
Postotlice Department. They have the
same right to vote that other citizens
have, under the law, and they have the
same right to rural free mail delivery
that other citizens have, also under the
law-the law in this cass providing for
decent roadway for the carriers use.
This question of the "rights" of an in
divldual is one over which great many
mistakes are made, and our Ohio friend
is not alone in his error. His right to
continue living on a dirt road is unques-
toned. He may allow it to get into
such condition that 1t is disgrace to
the community and to himself, and the
government is not likely to interfere I'M
less he permits its condition to become
such that it interferes with the proper
performance of the governments funct-
ions or duties. Then something will
probably happen, and he will learn the
rights of the government, which means
the rights of all the people, are greater
than his individual right. In many
states the government scompels the
attendance of children at school under
certain conditions, compels vaccination,
as preventive of worse trouble, and
for the public good compels the citizen
to do many things which he may or may
not believe to be In conflict with his