The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-26

people and the glory of the Nation
The fathers in laying the foundation OF
post and national Justice Each depart
ment or the government has grown with the
growth of the Nation: and each has done its
part with the rapid march of progress that
mas brought our Republic 10 the place OF
primacy among the powers of the earth.
And this is a fitting place from which to
look backward, and measure the progress
OF the American people, along the lines OF
national intelligence and national justice.
The first American postoffice was estab-
llsned IN America by an order or tue Gen-
eral Court Of Massachusetts in 1889, direct
ing that notice be given that Richard
Fairbanks, his house in Boston, is the place
appointed for all letters which are brought
from beyond the seas, or are to be sent
thither. to be left with him; and he Is to
take care that they are to be delivered,
or sent according to directions, and he Is
allowed for every letter a penny.
"A few years later the Virginia colony
ordered that every planter must forward
the mail to the next plantation under ffne
Of hogshead of tobacco Later the moth
er country provided a royal mail in Amer
lea 1t not efficient; and when the
movement began to found a new nation
the people felt that IL was not trustworthy.
And so the Continental Congress, year
before the Declaration of Independence, es-
tablished an American post and made Ben
Jamin Franklin our first postmaster gen.
eral.
Eat the beginning Franklin carried the
archives of his Office in his hat. Then there
the country. But he quickly established
post route in the colonies from Maine to
Georgia, and his riders carried the news
through the land of the birth of the Ma
tion on July A. 1776. And 1t was by means
of the American post that the people Of
the colonies held intercourse in their pa
minated in the establishment OF the United
States free and Independent nation.
"A few years later our Constitution was
adopted and the entire control OF the post
Office nlaCed Congress
a national department.
AT that time the postoffices of the coun-
small that Washington would not give the
postmaster general a seat in the Cabinet.
This did not come about until 1879.
GROWTH OF POSTAL SERVICE.
'"The growth of our country under the
Constitution is shown in many ways, but
in no way is 1t better shown than in the
growth of the Postal Department of the
Nation. When the Constitution was adopt
ed there were only seventy-five postoffices.
Now there are over seventy-five thousand.
Then there were hardly two thousand miles
of post road. Now there are over five hun
dred thousand miles. Then there were but
few hundred people in the postal service.
Now there are quarter of a million. Then
the gross annual revenues were only $37, 500.
Now they are nearly $50. 900. Then there
was mail between Boston and New York
once month and taking whole week for
the journey. And so il was over the coun-
try. Now there are daily and hourly mails
everywhere Then the postage was rated
on the distance, from to Is cents. Now
there is but one rate, even to the remotest
poStoffices in Alaska and the islands. Then
the post carried but two pieces of mail for
each person in the country in q year. Now
more than one hundred are carried by the
department for each person in a year. The
postoffice now handles more mail and re-
ceiveS and disburseS more revenue in a
fortnight than the whole department did
in one year when Washington became
President. These generalizations demon
strate the growth of our country in area,
in commerce, and, above all, in universal
knowledge. The mail is, perhaps, the best
test for measuring the common inteli-
gence and industrial activity of the nations.
On this standard let measure the intel
lectual and commercial activities of this
Nation with the other great powers. Rus
sia Of S TO necc te annually an
tria thirty-seven. France fifty-two, Ger
many sixty-one. England lightweight,
to each citizen 107. Mr.. Munhall, the statis-
tician, says the American post handles one
third of the letters and one-half of the
newspapers carried by the posts of the en-
tire world. Now the carrier delivers the
mail daily to nearly one-half of our entire
population. And it will not be long until
he will call at every door. He is always
a welcome visitor. The banker, the mer-
chant. the manufacturer, the farmer and
the mechanic anxiously wait his coming
and depend upon him implicitly in all their
anairs. He puts the whole country into
common acquaintance and good neighbor-
hood. There are no longer local jealousies
and rival sections in the United States.
Each man knows what all men know, and
this universal knowledge destroys strife
and makes for national unity. The mail
Ioilows the flag on land and sea.
INTELLIGENCE DISSEMINATED.
And this union of friendship, of purpose
and Of patriotism, is produced and main
tanned by the universal dissemination of
general intelligence, accumulated by the
press and largely distributed by the mail.
land to follow forth this great service is
one purpose for which this building is de-
signed. 1t is noble purpose. But there is
the other purpose of equal importance to
the public welfare.
The building to rise here is also to be the
abode. of national justice in Indiana And it
is hitting that justice shall reside in homes
as noble In design as the brain Of man can
conceive, for justice is the supremest power
and authority in this Republic. Nations ex-
press their chief traits in their public
works. The Greeks built beautiful temples
to their gods. and adorned them with the
treasures OF art Rome erected great am
phltheaters In which to show the courage
OF men and beasts in deadly strife, as her
chlef was to extend her power by war and
carnage. Modern Europe is full of fortress
es, and the waters of the sea are covered
with battleships, as their means of main
tanning the stability Of their empires While
In our land the highest aspirations of the
people are shown i'm the noble edifces ded-
icated to justice. We rule not by force, but
by law. Every one, from the lowest to
the highest, guides his course by the stable
rules OF justice. Right not might. is the
lofty aspiration OF our national life.
For thirteen years after the founding of
our Nation there was no President, no ma
tional tribunals. All national power re-
posed In the single body of delegates chosen
by the States. And the Nation was ruled
by the majority of the States and not by a
majority of the people When peace came
chaos threatened to overwhelm the fruits
of the revolution. And there was no SUI
preme power TO arbitrate the disputes be-
tween the several States and their citi-
zens- Men seriously talked of returning to
monarchy. Must we have a king? Then
1t was that Washington, Madison Frank
lin and the other sages of the time met
and formed plan of government, which
was adopted by the people, giving to each
locality control of that which is local and
to the nation control of that which is ma
tional, and above all erected a great sys-
authority of supreme law over the Con-
gress, the President, the States and the
people. The eternal principles of justice
and free government were embodied i'm the
Constitution as the birthright of every one
securing to every American the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of his own hap
pineSs. No monarch, no majority, not the
Congress, not the President, not even any
court can deprive an American of his rights
or his property except by the due process
of law.