Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-07-26

the advantages of the free rural postal
delivery are aware Of the fact that to
Hon. Thomas E. Watson, the erst-
while Populist member Of congress from
the Tenth district Of Georgia, Is due
the honor for securing this great con-
venience for the farmers, and others
who live in the rural districts. Since
II has proven so successful, with char
acteristic greediness for anything meri-
torious, Democrats and Republicans
alike have claimed the honor for the
introduction. The facts will substan-
| tiate the statement that to Mr.. Wat
and servant Of the common people, the
honor belongs to him alone. Speaking
Of the matter a few days ago, Mr.. Wat
son said to a reporter:
LIT was in 1893 while the house was
| In committee Of the whole, considering
| the appropriations for the fiscal year,
| that I arose and proposed an amend
ment covering an appropriation Of $10,-
| 900 for the purpose Of experimenting on
rural system. was met with storm
Of objection and derision. The sum was
ridiculously inadequate to begin with,
1t was said, while the project was too
big for the country to go into. involv-
Ing millions II 1t was any good.
the same rights as the business man,
whose mail was gathered up from his
desk every few hours regardless Of cost.
To the objection tnat the country was
too thinly populated, I retorted that it
was better economy to have one man
wait on a hundred than to have the
hundred lose half day to get their
mail. pressed my points, and as I
had back Of me following Of some
| thirty votes from the south and west,
enough to filibuster and delay, the
amendment was finally allowed and
the appropriation passed with this
item In it.
President Cleveland paid no atten-
ton to the matter. Charlie Moses, who
| was in the house at the time, was re-
turned from the Fourth Georgia district
and got another appropriation Of equal
| amount In the next bill. This too, was
left lying in the treasury by the admin
lstration, which did not seem to take
, kindly to the measure. But the senti-
inent In its favor grew, and at the next
| session senator tackled on $4,000 more
| for the same purpose. This made $780,
900 In the treasury and the administra-
ton saw that 1t would not do to fur
ther ignore the legislation Of congress.
So Postmaster General Wilson made
the experiment in his own county in
West Virginia and was amazed to find
how readily 1t fitted into our system
and what instantaneous approval 1t
met with.
From that time the rural routes
have steadily increased until they have
spread all over the whole country, bear
ing their benisons Of business and ed
ucation with them, until the farmers Of
the northwest would fight before they
would give up their daily paper. do
not claim that the idea is original with
me, for I got 1t In my readings and
studies Of European government, where
they have rural delivery Of kilograms
and expressage as we'll; but started it
In this country and yet the records stu
diously ignore my name In connection
with 1t and give the honor to nobody.
1.-The Independent and other publi-
cations have assigned the authorship
Of rural delivery to Postmaster General
Wanamaker, yet his experiment was
something quite different, being merely
the adaptation Of the city system Of
| free delivery to villages and not to the
country routes. Hepzibah, near Angus
| ia, was one Of the places where It was
| tried. AS everybody In a village lives
within a short distance Of the postof-
flee. free delivery was not needed and
was quickly abandoned, sometime be-
fore took up truly rural delivery. I
have written the correct statement to
The Independent, but 1t has paid no
attention to it, either publicly or pri-
vately.'"