La Junta tribune., 1908-10-03
hsw tie Dsaseratie Party Ssssht
= Thrsttis Il In lts Infancy.
Originated By Republicans. the Dsm-
ecrats sav in Il . Dugabee Of
Extravaeancs and Tried
70 XIII II.

Il was pounced upon By the Democratic
party, 4 party that has an unbrokeiI
history Of never missing an opportu-
nifty to try to throttle the life Of every
infant industry that may be % unfor-
tunate ~ to meet It upon the great
highway Of progress Postmaster Gen
crai wannmaker. under a Republican
administration in 1892. first recon.
mended the establishment OF q rural
free delivery service. During the three
n four years OF Democratic admins
tration following. small appropriations
were made. but not expended, and tho
system was never given fair trial
until President Mckinley came into
afiicc.
Oppressed ~ Denoesatis O0eials.
The Postonice Department headed by
q Democratic Postmaster General. dur
ing CIeveland's last term. opposed
rural delivery, and refused and neg
iected to make any experiment. or to
Institute amy free delivery routes. As
an excuse for this failure and neglect
to obey the mandates OF the law. the
Assistant Postmaster General under
Cleveland, In his report transmitted Il
Congress Ia December. 1893, expressed
strong views against rural free delivery
and the postmaster general Of this
same Democratic administration. ap
proved these views, and In his report Il
this same Congress. spoke Of rural free
delivery In slighting and somewha
contemptuous manner. In conclusion
lie stated:
II therefore adopt the opinion OF the
first Assistant Postmaster General tha'
the department would not be warranted
In burdening the people with such ex
Dense when II can more properly, ade
quately and economically meet the re
luirements Of postal extension by wild
ening Its scope along reasonable anf
conservative lines and by establishing
additional post Offices wherever thu
communities are justified In asking foi
them" He thus ignored the reasonable
aud Just demands Of 100000 Of ou
people, the very bone and sinew Of ou;'
republic, and cast their interests aside
by 4 wave Of the hand.
Too Many Obstacles In the Way.
Not only was the Democratic admin
Istration thoroughly against rural free
delivery, but the Democratic opposition
included the other Democratic branchef
II our national government. Tho
Iouse Of Representatives waS also
Democratic at that time and ON Feb
-uary 27, 1894, the committee on post
,fiices and post roads. In reporting to
he House the annual postoffice appro-
priation bill, used the following Ian
yuage in reference to rural free de
livery:
1T has been found impossible by rea-
son Of the pressure Of more important
Iuestions, for the officers having tina,
subject in charge, to give the subject
the study and confederation that 1t de-
mands, much less to establish such
rural free delivery"
Ne Ceastraeaive stasesna.sAip.
Thug again, the party which has
gone into partnership with calamity,
saw - lion In the way" at the very
inception OF constructive Statesman
ship, and did mot exhibit the energy
and initiative to take up the work for
which experimental appropriations had
already been made. In the report Of
Cleveland's Postmaster General, VIM.
L. Wilson. referring to the appropria-
tion which had been made and which
had not been uscd, We find the follow
ing:
Should Congress see 1T to make II
available for the carrent year. win
make the experiment ordered, BY the
best tests can devise; but the difi-
culties In the way OF such experiments
and the reasons for viewing the whole
plan a. impracticable. ara fully Get
forth In the report Of the HOUSE Com
mfttee on the Postofiics Appropriation
bill Of the second session Of the Fifty
Third Congress-"
Ds.esrssv Was Asaiass Rural Ds-
livery.
It will thus be seen that Cleveland,s
Postmaster General, after two year, OF
study and reelection upon the subject,
after having absolutely refused to NE
the money which Congress placed at
his disposal for this purpose, gave It
n his opinion that the whole plan was
inspracticabls again, and should be
abandoned In the message Of PresI-
dent Cleveland sent to Congrew Dec.
4, 1855 referring to the matter Of
rural free delivery. he himself said:
7 am decidedly Of the opinion that
ths provisioas Of the present law pes-
NIT - eseeral an introduction Of this
feature ~ man service - y now NEG
ESAARY on DnelRABL1n, ana that
II ought NOT y b sxtenlsd 70 smaller
co1Dunfttss than are now dssisnatsd.~
Again y sinsis seutancs. xroa the an
nual mssaaes q C3ayeland ths follow.
ing ynar - disniaso H. matter In
thsss words: -Ths estinatsd cot Of