Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-01-31
RURAL ROUTES IN GREAT DANGER.
Congressman Aiken Makes Strong Appeal to
People to Support the System.

WaSuiuRJOu, january 0U. --E0lCOrS heO-
wee Courier: You have doubtless noted
in the papers q statement from the Post
Office Departm. mt indicating it's purpose
to discontinue a large number of the
rural routes throughout the country, on
the ground that "they are not appreci-
ated." Knowing your deep interest in
the welfare of our county, and in the
general upbuilding of the rural sections,
that make for material prosperity, de-
sire through your paper to direct public
attention to the necessity for building
up the business of the rural service.
Cities and towns only reflect pros
perity--the country is it's real birth place.
Anything that detracts from or retards
the advancement of the producer rObs
the nation in dollars and cents.
There is natural tendency in all men
to- gravitate To populous centres; it is the
social and inquisilive side of mans ma
ture that asserts itself. Telephones and
trolley lines have done much toward
blotting out time and space, toward max
ing neighbours of those geographically
far apart; but greater than either OF
these is the free rural delivery ~, stem
Not every community eau have u trolley
line, not every man can have a telephone,
but the humblest citizen may have his
mail delivered daily at his door, BY
these modern agencies the most remote
rural resident is, in essentials, made a
suburban resident of the towns and
cities, aud long step toward desirable
life in the country is attained. Is it not
passing strange, then, that the govern
ment, which must realize the Importance
of maintaining the highest and most in
telligent citizenship in the rural sections,
would snatch from these good people the
only little mite of gratuity they have
ever received of the millions they have
contributed to the national treasury
And yet this order of the Post Office De-
partment ITO discontinue rural routes
which do not handle 1000 pieces of mail
monthly" will do this very thing.
Arguments as to the unwisdom of the
governments course are futile, when
confronted with its declared policy. One
cannot help noting, however, the moon
sistency in appropriating annually, to
the Philippines, an alien people, millions
| in excess of their revenue, with the sim
gle purpose of educating them to the
standard of good citizenship, while with
holding from its best citizens at homo
the little amount necessary to supple
ment rural routes not entirely self-sus-
tanning.
The government disclaims any inten-
tion OF discriminating against the South
in this order, and we do not charge it
with discrimination or sectionalsm, but
| the effect will be none the less disas-
trous Jo Southern rural routes because of
the disclaimer. There ia scarcely a car
rier in the populous North that does net
handle four or five thousand pieces Of
mail monthly, while many of our own
carriers seldom reach 5000 pieces and
some under 1000 pieces. Truly the gov
ernment should take the larger view,
and extend it's bounty to those thnly set.
tied sections which need building up.
but we need not expect 1t
80 great have the government expenditures
grown that the present excessive tariff rates
'hs and for
| its policy of extravagance. Many appropria-
tons heretofore made will be either left Off
mans lamb" the South's little mite, win be
taken II Is only too true that this order of the
Being as yet uninformed as to the amount of
mail handled by the various carriers of the Third
District It is Impossible to say which routes, If
any. Will be affected by the order. Some of them
are doubtless on the danger line, and feeling the
deepest interest in the people who are now
carriers, desire to stir them up to realization
! OF the danger that confronts the system.
More OF our people should take the daily and
| tri-weekly papers, and should do this at once.
Ihere Is no greater agency for public good. no
better educator than the newspaper. There
should not be white family In this district that
| serving the immediate end of Increasing the
Iurai business, 1t Will tell for good I'm our chill
| dren and our children's children.
Asidefrom the paramount advantages afforded
by the rural delivery system for building up and
making content sparsely settled sections, the
thereby is n consideration. In this district alone
there are something like $50 carriers, rec. wing
an aggregate of something like ninety or one
hundred thousand dollars annually, which is
| distributed through our avenues of trade. 1t is
paid to as faithful and deserving men as our
country affords. Most of them eai n i'm dollars
and cents for the government, and all of them
earn In labor, every dollar, and more, than the
government pays them. VIII we, for lack of
proper support, surrender this appropriation,
with the greater advantage of a daily mail, stm-
| ulating trade between country and town, or will
we meet the exiRency? 1t Is up TO the good peo-
pie who are served aud the courteous carriers,
| for the government has spoken