Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-09-07

And yet he has stood, and will
stand again, upon Republican
platform pledged to protection as
a principle, and those protection
lists who believe in sanctity of tariff
schedules and prescribe members
of their own party advocating
any reasonable modification or
change, and all those who are wax
ing rich mt the expense of the peo-
pie, the protected classes and the
criminal rich" will be asked to
look upon Theodore Roosevelt as
their friend and protector.
No man should be prescribed for
a change of opinion if it is result
Of research or the fruit of mature
Judgment.
But it may and often does indi-
cate mental instability or a willing
ness to yield principle for place.
The Republican campaign book
has made its appearance and is
filled with lies, false claims, cant
and hypocrisy from beginning to
end.
Among the numerous other mis-
statements of the Republican Cam
paign Book is the one claiming for
that party the origination OF rural
free delivery for the benefit of
farming communities. There was
no rural free delivery prior to
1892. PoStmaStcr-General Wanna
maker had recommended its extcn-
sion to smaller cities and villages,
but had not recommended free
delivery to the farming conmuni-
ties.
The first suggestion of that kind
was proposed by the Hon. l.. f.
Livingston. Democratic member
from the State OF Georgia, when
he offered the following amend
ment to the Post Office Appropri-
alton Bill, ON June II, 1892:
Amend line 10. page >. by
striking out the word Is and IN
serting the word 5. and also after
the word dollars, in line IL. these
words, provided that 100000. 90
shall be used for experimental free
rural delivery outside the towns
and villages" (See Congressional
Record, lst Session. 52d Congress.
pages 1882
That amendment was ruled out
on point of order, and other sim
liar amendments offered 10y Demo
Gratis met the same fate.
In the following session of the
succeeding Congress, February Ii,
1898, an amendment was offered
by Hon. Thomas f. Watson. at
that time a Democratic member
from the State of Georgia. to the
Post Office Appropriation Bill,
providing that sic. 900 be expended
by the PostmaStcr-General rs an
experiment for rural free delivery
to the farmers. This being Dem
Ocratic Congress. that amendment
was adopted, and the Bill rs
amended became a law. Mr.. Har-
rison WAS then President and Mr..
Wanamaker Postmaster-General.
The appropriation, however, was
not used during their term of office,
nor during the first two years
under Mr.. Cleveland. Democratic
Congresses, however, continued
making appropriations, and in
1895 $4,000 was appropriated for
this purpose and during the fiscal
year 1S96-1S97, under Postmaster
General Wilson, a Democrat, the
first 81 rural routes were establish
ed, the first route being established
in Bartholomew county, Indiana,
in 1896.
In the Record of March Is, 1904,
included in the remarks of Hon.
&c. r. Thomas, of North Carolina,
will be found letter from Post
master-General Payne, dated Feb
ruary 26, 1904, addressed to the
Hon. l.. +. Livingston, House of
Representatives, containing the
following:
Sir: Replying to your letter
of the 18th instant making certain
inquiries relative to the history of
rural free delivery service, would
refer you to the acts making APP
preparations for the postal service
for the fiscial years 1891 1894 >,
1885, 1867, from which |
quote as follows:
= s 1S96-IS97, for free
delivery service, in all, $12, ,S1S,-
25O. 4 Provided further that
| $4,000 of this amount may be used
to defray the expenses of expert
ments in rural free delivery, under