The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-11-22
THE FACTS AS THEY ARE.

has pursued for some time back of
disappearing Congressman Nc.
Cleary in connection with the extern.
sion of the rural delivery system in
this county, the Mapleton Enterprise
continues its course this week in con-
nectiOn with mention of the fact that
work has been resumed upon their in
spectiOn preparatory to establishment.
1t says that Congressman McCleary
promised these routes two years ago,
but like lots of his promises they failed
to be kept" 1t then goes on to say
that thanks for the work now being
done as to their inspection is due "to
the urgent efforts of the daily news
papers, who canvassed the proposed
routes and securing large number
Of subscribers on the promise that the
routes would be established. Now
as a matter of fact Mr.. McCleary has
never made any promise as to the
opening of the rural delivery routes at
Mspleton or any other place in this
county or district, further than the
fact that he would recommend route
properly petitioned for and use his best
endesvors with the department tn at
they be established, all of which he
has most faithfully done as to the
routes at Mapleton as we'll as other
points in the county and district and
the Free Press has heretofore set forth
the reasons why the routes have not
been previously opened. All of this
is we'll known to the editor of the
Enterprise, or could be if he would
take the trouble of properly informing
himself as to the facts, but he has
seemed to much prefer policy of mis-
representation. As to the statement
that the taking up Of the work of es-
tablishing the routes at the present
time is due to the efforts of the daily
papers, that is too thin for much no.
tice, as it is a we'll known fact that
they simply make their canvass of a
proposed route when first petitioned
for, and have many routes canvassed
a year or two ago, which have not yet
Oeen opened, and some of them may
not be for a year or two more. Every
we'll informed person knows that in
the nature of the case no one outside
of the postoffice department but Mr..
McCleary has had anything to do with
the resumption of this work in this
county and the Second district
In marked contrast with the course
Of Misrepresentation which the Enter
prise has pursued, is the treatme Mt of
the matter by the Eagle Lake News,
at which place there has been a petit
ton in for route more than a year
It has possessed itself of the facts in
the case and presents them just as they
are. It shows, as the Free Press has
previously pointed out, that Mr.. Nc
Cleary had obtained the establishing of
more rural delivery routes in the Sec
Ond district, than had any other dis
trict in the state, and that this led to
protest from other congressman in
the state, which caused the depart
ment to holdup further work in the
second. So far this year as a
result the second district has had
only seven new routes opened
up, and this was done only because of
the lack of postal facilities along por-
tions of their lines. AS to the cause
for the present work. and the part
Mr.. McCleary has taken in it, we eli p
the following from the News article.
which presents it fairly. 1t says:
''On his return from Europe Mr.. Nc
Cleary began urging the department
to resume work in the second district.
In order TO do this more effectually,
he went back to Washington from
Canton after the funeral of Presiden
Mckinley, and made personal pre-
sentation Of the matter to the depart
ment And ever since by letter and
telegram he has kept the matter before
the department, meeting every objec-
Clon an answering every argument.
Ia answering TO the objection that
the secoad district is still far in the
lead in the number of rural free de-
livery routes. Mr.. McCleary has taken
the position that it has right to be
and remain SO This position he con-
tended for on two grounds; first, tina
he having been pioneer in the es
tablishment of these routes, it would
not be right now to ask him to wait
until other members catch up Sec
ond, that the second district, by reason
.0f - a-E L
population (greater than that of any
district in the state except the sixth)
and the very uniform distribution of
ITS population lin which if far excels
the sixth, can prohtably and pro-
perly use far more of these routes than
any other district in the state, and is
therefore justly entitled to be and to
remain far in the lead in the num-
Der of such routes. This logic was con-
vincing to the department hence the
resumption of the work as above
stated. Mr.. McCleary and the district
are alike to be congratulated -
This is straight, square presenta-
ton of the facts as to how work was
resumed and the objections which
Mr.. McCleary had to overcome. Til e
Free Press would not have reverted to
this further, had not it been for the
continued attitude of the Enterprise in
attempting to misrepresent Congress-
man McCleary and its seeming per-
sistency in declining to give the mat
ter straight when little inquiry upon
its part would have enabled it to dc
so, but it has rather preferred, from
all appearances. to attempt to prejudice