The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1905-02-17
WASHINGTON LETTER,
PostOffice Department and
Its Sharpest Competitor.
How a President Is Inaugu-
rated and Who Can
See II.
Especial TO THE RsrrpLIcASl


JOnn WdHdf1dheT, lle HltiCildill
prince of Philadelphia and New.
York, was Postmaster General dur
ing the administration of President
Harrison and one of the best Post
masters Generals if not the very best
the country has ever had. He strove
to make forms and improvements in
the postoffice department but soon
found that he could not do much.
He said recently that there were
four reasons why we cannot have a
parcels post and other postal facili-
ties that have long been enjoyed in
Germany, France, England, Italy
and other countries. The four
reasons were the four great Ameri-
can Express companies. There were
-four express companies then; there
are six now. They are amalga-
mated into a trust. They are the
successful rivals of the United States
government in its own territory and
in its peculiar domain monopolizing
the most important of the postal
carrying business compelling the
people to pay many hundreds. of
thousands of dollars yearly and
bringing the country through the
postal system into debt when if it
were not for these express ,compan-
les there would be a yearly surplus
to the credit for the postoffice. The
thieves in the postoffice department
were sent to Moundsville peniten-
tiary this week. The beef trust is
supposed to have received stun
ming blow from the Supreme court
of the United States. The railroads
appear to be docile and plastic
to legislation. May we not hope
that this entrenched trust may also
have to loosen its grip?
-
In the great inaugural parade
on the fourth of March $1,000 men
will march on Pennsylvania Ave. OF
these 5000 will be United States
regulars $1,000 state military and
about 5000 civilians from all parts
of the country. The four great ra-
ces will be represented, for Indians,
Filipinos and negroes will march be-
side the white man. The President
will be escorted by a squad of his
own rough riders" The route of
the parade, however, will be contin-
gent on the condition of Pennsylva-
MIA Avenue. That throughfare is oc-
casionly under water and it may be
that the procession will have to make
a detour to reach the Capitol. The
snow fall Of this winter is almost
unprecedented and when the waters
begin to rise they may submerge
the Avenue. March fourth is an
especially favorable time for flood
and the Inaugural committees are
anxiously awaiting the date. Stands
are to be erected along the Avenue
and for from fifty cents to a dollar
aNperson may buy seat from which
to view the parade. Many thous-
and of dollars are invested in these
stands which are uncovered and the
investor risks all his money on the
state of the weather. If the sun
shines he sells his seats and makes a
haul. If it is cold and snowy he
draws blank. Windows in hotels
and business houses along the Ave-
nue. are all engaged in advance, The
prices range from five to fifty dollars
a window, the latter being the price
asked in the New Willard and Raj
eigh hotels for room with window
on the Avenue for the day. In these
high priced stations prominent of
ficials or residents collect number
of their friends and serve luncheon,
and make social affair of the occa-
sion. Humber citizens are content
to pay twenty-five cents for dry
goods box some where near the edge
of the pavement on the route of the
parade and the enterprising African
who can gather together number
of boxes, or get his wagon in a good |