La Junta tribune., 1908-10-17
It's Remarkable Development During
Eleven Years of Republican
Rule.
Enables Moro than Sixty Per Cent
Of the American People to Come
Into Their Own

10 h'.iIi'Es s'i'F
old. 1t has fully kept pace with the
growth and development Of our whole
country. The farmer is now reaping
some Of the rewards he justly earned
In the past, by the burdens he has
borne. He Is the producer Of wealth.
He Is coming to be one of the most In.
dependent OF all our citizens. No
branch Of the public service has been
80 well developed and improved In the
past few years as our rural free delIS-
cry.
Only six years ago there were only
5000 rural routes In operation. There
are now about 10000 aud these are
scattered through every State and Ter
ritory In the country, So that there j.
not rural section in the whole land
that is not practically covered. This
entire service has been evolved from q
siuall beginning. little more than elev-
en- years ago. during the three R"i,ubi
can administrations. with which the
country has teen blessed since iSg1.
The Democrats object. OF course, 10
the appropriation OF S35.epo,Orp made
this year for the support Of rural free
delivery. but this service brin:s more
direct benefit to the people OF this conn
try. whom il affects, than almost an:
other appropriation made 10y the gen
eral government.
Great Aid To Education.
4 he development Of the postal faciii
ties has been the Development Of fhc
people is wisdom and greatness. When
these facilities reached but a fea at
wide intervals, 1t was blessing. The
tardy system by which letters we're
carried by canal and horses from
the East 10 the western frontier
at great expense was blessing.
aud when steam was harnesscd 10
the mails and delivered It's precious
freight to the large cities and towns
to which the people went from miles
around to get the weekly paper. the
benefits were sim greater. Larger yet
did they become when business men In
large cities could receive their mail
several times day at their desks by
city carriers.
But not until very recent years. and
under n Republican policy, was IL dis
covered that the people whose money
pays the majority OF all taxes levied for
government purposes: who constitute
the majority of the people: from whose
ranks are recruited armies and navies
In time OF war; In whom the hope of
the milton rests for that stability and
wisdom which is unmoved by new and
untried schemes, and in whom is east
"a, bar ,,.h. sgt.r
and squalls OF political delusIons beat
against the ship OF state; no, until re-
cent years have any of these peopl.
from the country received the benefits
Of free delivery, and not nearly all Of
them do now. Yet judged by policy. OF
right, Is any class more entitled to the
benefits OF free delivery with its con
slant dissemination OF useful knowl-
edge:
IL PopuInrtars Country Life.
When municipalities are being crowd.
ed and consested by people drawn from
the country and from foreign lands. it
Is the part OF wisdom to encourage life
In the country; and with electric roads,
telephones and rural delivery the bene-
dts of city life have been extended. and
municipal boundaries have been re-
moved. Democrats talk as II Repubii-
cnnB were making concessions to the
people OF the country by arranging for
the extension OF rural mail service,
when in reality the Republican party
il simply aiding the rural districts TO
come into possession of portion of
their own.
Democrats 'view with AIarn.-
Democrats are viewing with
alarm" the possibilities OF deficit in
connection with the extension of the
rural free delivery service That there
will be deficit for the first two years
1t is practically certain. This belongs
naturally to the business end to the
constructive Republican policy, when
II sees how II can best serve the peo-
pie at present. and recoup the govern
ment treasury later. After three years,
the rural free delivery service will be
more than self-supporting. The re-
ceipts Of the Postohicc Department
have been largely Increased already
since rural delivery was established.
and every route of any age shows
steady increase In pieces of mail han
died and in stamps sold and cancelled.
Yet this cancellation and sale Of
stamps does not measure the whole ef-
feet Of rural delivery. Its benefits
reach every other department. and
much Of the general increase in busi-
nsso can Be traced to It
AlAs CharAs4eR DsllAla9.
But - Il necessary that the system
should b seif-supportinS to entitls Il
- - support Of the Republican par
~ De ~ maintain schools found
ard support colleges because they are