The Holly chieftain., 1908-10-02
OUR RURAL FREE
MAIL DELIVERY
How the Democratic Party Sought
to Throttle 1t in Its Infancy.
Originated by Republicans, the Dem
ocrats Saw in It a Bugaboo Of
Extravaganza and Tried
to Kill It.

| livery in the United States was beset
1t was pounced upon by the Democratic
party, party that has an unbrokell
history Of never missing an opportu-
| nifty to try to throttle the life of every
| infant industry that may be SO unfor-
tunate as to meet 1t upon the great
highway OF progress. Postmaster Cen
| eral Wanamaker under Republican
| administration in 1892, first recon-
mended the establishment of rural
| free delivery service. During the three
or four years of Democratic admins
tration following, small appropriations
were made, but not expended, and the
system was never given a fair trial
until President Mckinley came into
Office.
Opposed by Democratic OmcfaIs.
The Postoffice Department headed by
| a Democratic Postmaster General, dur
! Ing Cleveland's last term, opposed
rural delivery. and refused and neg
lected to make any experiment, or to
| institute any 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 to
Congress in December, 1898, expressed
strong views against rural free delivery
and the postmaster general of this
same Democratic administration, ap.
proved these views, and in his report to
this same Congress, spoke of rural free
delivery In sighting and somewhat
contemptuous manner. In conclusion
he stated:
II therefore adopt the opinion Of the
first Assistant Postmaster General that
the department would not be warranted
in burdening the people with such ex.
pense when 1t can more properly, ade-
quately and economically meet the re
1uirements Of postal extension by wild
ening its scope along reasonable and
conservative lines and by establishing
additional post Offices wherever the
communities are justified in asking for
them" He thus ignored the reasonable
and just demands of 100000 of our
people, the very bone and sinew of our
republic, and cast their interests aside,
by 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 branches
Of our national government The
House Of Representatives was also
Democratic at that time and on Feb
ruary 27, 1894, the committee on post
offices and post roads, In reporting to
the House the annual postoffice appro-
priation bill, used the following Ian
guage In reference to rural free de-
livery:
1T has been found impossible by rea-
son OF the pressure Of more important
questions, for the officers having that
subject In charge, to give the subject
the study and consideration that it de-
mands, much less to establish such
rural free delivery"
No Constructive statesmarship,
Thus again. the party which has
gone into partnership with calamity
y,
inception Of constructive statesman
ship, and did not 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
hp1
ing:
Should Congress see fit to make it
available for the current year, will
make the experiment ordered, by the
best tests l can devise; but the diff
culties In the way Of such experiments
and the reasons for viewing the whole
plan as impracticabe, are fully set
forth In the report of the House Com
mittee on the Postotiice Appropriation
bill of the second session Of the Fifty
Third Congress"
Democracy Was Against Rural De-
livery.
1t will thus be seen that Cleveland's
Postmaster General, after two years of
study and reflection upon the subject,
after having absolutely refused to use
the money which Congress placed at
his disposal for this purpose, gave it
as his opinion that the whole plan was
impracticable again, and should be
abandoned. In the message of Presi-
dent Cleveland sent to Congress Dec.
1, 1893, referring to the matter of
rural free delivery, he himself said:
81 am decidedly of the opinion that
the provisions of the present law per-
nit as general an Introduction of this
feature of mail service US is now NEG
ESSARY OR DESIRABLE, and that
it ought NOT to be extended to smaller
communities than are now designated"
Again in single sentence, from the an
nual message of Cleveland the follow
ing year he dismisses the matter in
these words: THE estimated cost of
rural free delivery generally Is so very
large that it OUGHT NOT TO BE