The National tribune., 1906-12-20

1904 1Z,9ZlVVV I4,ooo
1905. 21,O40,O00 3l,oOo
1870 700 4'ooo '''0''
1907. 2S,35O,000 ......
That this tremendous movement has
resulted in a quickening of the popular
intelligence in regions where 1t woui'l
be most beneficial is unquestionab!e.
That it has been accompanied by dis
appointments, heart-burnings and Wig
orous complaints is equally true.
Mails for the Country.
The distribution of mail matter to
the agricultural population was
scheme so attractive as to command IL
advance the enthusiastic plaudits of all
who wished well for the country. That
some prophecies have not been fulfilled
is no impeachment of its general utility,
but should be an incentive to more
careful administration and proper ad-
justment to the necessities of the case
There are several classes of people TO
whom this beneficent innovation has
brought chiefly gall and wormwood. The
first heard and, we fear, least regarded
of all the complaints, are the 5000 or
1000 Postmasters whose offices have
been abolished by this unwelcome de-
vice. One of these writes: THE routes
are generally proposed and put thru by
the Postmaster of some Office of i'm
portance who knows that majority of
those affected oppose the rural deliv-
cry. The evident purpose is to kill off
the smaller offices on the routes to swell
the business of the Postmasters at the
distributing offices"
Another set of objectors line up along
the roads which have been omitted in
laying off the delivery routes. 1t is
made a matter of serious complaint that
the price of land is adversely affected
by being thus Disseminated against, and
the probability is that bitter contro-
versies will rage for years in many To-
calities over attempts to change the
course of the agile carriers daily pi.-
grimage. The fight between towns for
the "County-seat" and the fight between
streets for the location of village post
office are precedents in point. As the
venom Of the conflict is ever in inverse
ratio to its importance, We may well
shudder at the grand aggregate of heat
and heartache which this consideration
involves.
The village storekeepers join in en-
phatic expressions of hostility Thru
the operation of the system they are
more than ever exposed to the compe-
tition of the mail-order houses, and
they declare that in many sections the
farmers have stopt coming to town TO
buy since the establishment of the free
delivery routes. This, of course, reacts
on the jobbers and wholesalers in the
large cities, and the result is that the
trade of both city and country has suf-
fered severely.
disappointed Candidates.
Disappointed candidates for the Of
fee of rural carrier, and even the Con-
gressmen who have failed to get their
friends selected by the Civil Service
Boards, have their grievances, and fail
not to exploit the same. Kansas Rep
resentative thus wrote TO the Postmas-
ter-General in indorsing one of his
worthy constituents: He seeks not 10
serve among the pillared and domed
and columned edifices of Washington
He is used to being summoned to work
by the clarion notes of the barnyard
cock, and would be out of place among
the o'clock risers of the Ma ional Cap
ital. He neither drinks whisky nor plays
penny ante. He has never worn a dress
suit or an opera hat. He is plair
homespun man, who loves the fresf
air and the green fields and the sun
shine and the flowers. and the lady he
loves is the goddess of simple rura
contentment. He wants to carry tht
mail over a rural route"
All these objections represent specia
interests that are adversely affected. NJ
one raises any question to the broaC
principle involved. On the contrary, j
IS manifest 10 all that the country gen
orally, and especially the Middle West
is undergoing q remarkable intellectual
awakening because of the introduction
of rural free delivery. A lively interes
in political affairs is one of the result
of this awakening. which is shown b.
the shower of letters and petition
which deluges the Congressman a
Washington.
Manifest Intellectual Change.
Circulation of the daily newspaper
has increased enormously. The ney
subscribers live on the rural routes. an,
the farmer reads his newspaper NOR
religiously than the man in town.
This means that the number of vOt
ers who keep in accurate touch wit
public affairs has been multiplied b
three. Not over half the people in tn
cities and towns are regular readers o
good daily newspapers, while ii is fas
getting to be true that everybody in tn
country is a newspaper reader.
The cities were the seats of almo
all intellectual interest-of almost a
intelligent consideration of public ques
tions Now the country is rapidly az
Stunning that distinction, passing til
towns In average intelligent interest
affairs.
This statement is full of significance
and it's correctness is vouched for b
men of business. students, observer
politicians, publishers and, most of al
by the daily tendencies In public affail
which can only be explained by TIL
theory. Much of the recent deman
for the exposure and punishment c