Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-09-21

JIG uuuUoI VI people ScrVeu. AS long
ago as November, 1902, nearly twelve
thousand routes had been established;
the carriers engaged travelled 5000
miles of country roads and served
about seven millions of the strictly
rural population with their daily mail
1t is likely that the number is much
nearer ten millions today.
! Give the Devil His Due.
Due credit must be given the repub-
lican administration for developing
this gigantic system of rural free de-
livery. The republicans have always
been lavish money-spenders-bu this
IS the first instance where public reve-
nues have been expended under repub-
lican direction in the interest of ALL
the people, instead of for a favored
few-because it is just as desirable for
the Urbanite to be able to reach his
~ural brother by quick mail service, as
t is for the rural citizen to be
reached.
Where Greatest Credit Belongs.
The creates credit for any blessing
20 mankind is always accorded him in
whose mind the thing originated No.
oody today thinks Of giving credit to
present day makers of steam engines
or the application of steam power to
manufacturing and transportation, but
he public mind instinctively turns to
Watts, Robert Fulton and a few others.
The blessing of rural free delivery is
due to the "energy and we'll directed
efforts of Hon. Thomas E. Watson of
Georgia, the peoples party candidate
sor president. He it was who, seeing
free delivery of mail in the larger
cities grand success. and seeing Post
master General Wanamaker's expert
nents with free delivery in smaller
| cities and towns (under the misleading
name Of rural" delivery. conceived
| the idea that if the United States could
| expend the public revenues in deliver
ing mail to the urban population,
equal rights to all, special privileges
% none.' absolutely demanded that the
"ural population should have similar
'ervice Mr. Watson was too far
| sighted a statesman to attempt the
establishment of rural free delivery at
one fell swoop. He knew the forces
re had to deal with. He knew how
| difficult it would be to secure an ap-
oropriation to be expended in behalf
IT any but the beneficiaries Of special
privileges in control Of the govern
nent. So his first demand was so
nodest-only a paltry $4,000. mere
oaSatelle to the spenders of billions of
he peoples money-that, with persist
ant watching and hard fighting, he
inally secrued what he asked for.
| Republicans Compelled to Act.
For something like four years the
postal authorities refused to expend
he Watson appropriation; but finally
| start was made in small way, one
u the first routes being out of Hyatts-
lille, Md. So rapidly did the system
spring into public favor that the re-
publican administration was compelled
o develop it, even in face of the
| knowledge that the sOcializing effects
II rural free delivery must finally ac-
'omplish the overthrow of that party.
Tor the farmer has been, and still is,
he mainstay of the republican party;
| >ut after his intense individualism is
| worm away by the use of rural tele-
! 'hones. rural free delivery of mails,
! good roads and the like, he will be
| )etter equipped for cooperative action
! Ind this will ultimately take him away
rom the 6. q. p. Cooperation among
'armers has been difficult of accom-
1llshment heretofore, because cooper
ltion can not live without ready COM
! nunication. And the rapid growth of
armers' cooperative shipping associa-
ions can in large measure be traced
directly to that then unnoticed appro-
,riation of ten thousand dollars Sc
cured by Mr.. Watson.
Always Spurious Claimants.
wherever blessing to mankind has
been introduced, it is not long before
7retenders spring up on every hand
claiming the credit for it's discovery or
Introduction. Credit for the blessing
II rural free delivery is due directly
o Thomas E. Watson. AS the Mis-
'ouri World truthfully remarks:
Every one of the tens of thousands of
| rural mail boxes is stump speech in
'avor of Tom Watson for president"
And on election day there will be tens
# thousands of farmers who will re-
member the stump speech made by his
! mail box
For the benefit of those who may
| be 1nystified by the claims and coun-
terclaims of various individuals, The
Independent has taken the trouble to
make thorough investigation of the
Congressional Record. Last year both
| senator's from Georgia (Clay and Ba-
! COM made the claim in behalf of Mr..
Watson and the state of Georgia for
originating the idea of real rural free
9elivery-and it was not controverted
oy any senator present. The following
quotations from the record can be veri-
fed by any person who will take the
| trouble to do so.
Senator CIay's Proof.
Mr.. Clay: Mr.. President desire to
say to the senator in charge of this bill
that I wish to submit some remarks
| and that I shall not take more than
ten OR fifteen minutes of the time of
the senate:
The Presiding officer: Does the SEN
,ator from Illinois yield to the senator
from Georgia?
Mr.. Mason: yield to the senator
for his remarks, but the senator from
Maryland (Mr. McComas) has asked
the privilege of Offering an amend
ment. and l want the senator from
Maryland to understand that after the
senator from Georgia has finished he
may offer it.
| Mr.. Clay: Mr.. President, an exami-
nation of the Congressional Record of
| February II, 1893, shows that the post
Office appropriation bill was pending