The Falls City tribune., 1908-09-25
BRYAN THREATENS
HIS PLATFORM THREATENS RU.
RAJ DELIVERY AND AGRI-
CULTURAL PROGRESS.
Denounces Expansion of Departments
Which Work Exclusively in
the interests of the
Farmer.

How many Nebraska farmers wish
to see the Free Rural Delivery of Mail
crippled and perhaps abolished and
the great work of the Department of
Agriculture hampered and possibly
reduced To Il stagnant condition and
all real progress in that department
stopped? As many as wish such a
result in the two great departments
of the government devoted exclusive
ly to the daily interests of the farmer,
stock-raiser and horticulturist should
vote this year for Candidate Bryan
and his democratic platform, because
in that platform, made and approved
in every word by Candidate Bryan,
is a plain and unmistakable threat to
10 that very thing.
That this statement is true and is
not mere idle criticism is amply
proven by the official record on which
Candidate Bryan himself has placed
the seal of his personal approval.
1t is a matter of common knowl-
edge that the democratic platform
this year was prepared under the per-
sonal supervision of Candidate Bryan
and mad his approval in every word,
line and statement before it saw the
light of day in the democratic ia
tiAnnIN convention 81 nan1yop onI MOS
there adopted with the full knowl-
edge that it was the personal plat
form of Candidate Bryan. What does
this democratic platform say in re-
lation to the matters of vital daily
interest to the men and women who
make their homes and spend their
lives on the farm?
Under a section of the democratic
national platform denominated office
holders the platform undertaking to
~denounce the administration of the
republican party in keeping abreast of
the progress of the country and ex-
tending benefits to the agricultural
classes of the nation, says:
"Coincident with the enormous"
increase in expenditures is a"
like addition to the number of"
officeholders. IS q q We de-
"nounce this great and growing"
increase in the number of"
"officeholders as not only unnec-"
"essary and wasteful, but also"
'as clearly indicating a deliberate"
purpose on the part of the ad-"
"ministration to keep the repub-"
"lican party in power at public"
expense by thus increasing the
number of its retainers and de-"
"pendents. Such procedure we"
declare to be no less dangerous
land corrupt than the open pur-"
Chase of votes at the polls"
Now let the Nebraska farmer ex-
anime this declaration carefully in
the light of the facts, to determine
exactly what it means, remembering
that Candidate Bryan is promising in
every speech he makes to carry into
effect. if he is elected, every word
found in his platform.
To know what he means it is nee.
essary first to learn wherein has
been the great increase in office.
holders in recent years which Can
didate Bryan and his platform so
roundly and viciously condemn and
by plain inference threatens to
abolish. That increase in office
holders" in recen years has been
very largely in the two great depart
ments of the government conducted
exclusively for the benefit of the
American farmer; the Rural Free De-
livery of Mail and the Department OF
Agriculture. Every rural letter car
rier and every employee of the De-
partment of Agriculture counts in
making up the government list Of
oIfCChoiuSi anu IL is tuc STOWt0
and expansion of these great depart
ments established by the republican
party for the benefit of the farmer
that Candidate Bryan condemns and
threatens to reduce to a condition of
wreck and ruin. The facts obtain
able amply prove the case. In 1896
there were no rural delivery carriers,
no "officeholders" to be counted. be-
in spite of republican legisla-
ton establishing this service for the
farmer a democratic president refused
to avail himself of the appropriation
made for this purpose. The repuo-
lican party took hold in 1897, fostered
and expanded the rural delivery and
on June Both, 1908, 1927 employees
were engaged in the R. F. D. sery.
ice, delivering the mail daily to
millions of our farm residents. This