The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1908-10-10
REPUBLICANS FATHER
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
Its Remarkable Development During
Eleven Years Of Republican
Rule.
Enables More than Sixty Per Cent
Of the American People to Come
Into Their own.

Our rural free delivery, under the 70
bust constructive policy Of the Repub
iican party, is scarcely twelve years
old 1t has fully kept pace with th'
growth and development Of our whole
country The farmer is now reapinl
some Of the rewards he justly earned
in the past, By the burdens he has
borne. lie is the producer Of wealth
He is coming 70 be one Of the most in
dependent Of all our citizens. M
branch of the public service has beer
so well developed and improved In the
past few years as our rural free deliv.
cry
Only six years ago there were only
5000 rural routes in operation. There
are now about 10000 and these are
scattered through every State and Ter
ritory In the country, so that there is
not a rural section in the whole land
that Is not practically covered. This
entire service has been evolved from a
small beginning little more than elev.
en- years ago, during the three Republi,
can administrations with which the
country has been blessed since 1897.
The Democrats object, of course, to
the appropriation Of $35,OOO.000 made
this year for the support OF rural free
delivery, but this service brings more
direct benefit to the people of this coun-
try, whom 1t affects, than almost any
other appropriation made by the gen
eral government
Great Aid TO Education.
The development of the postal faciiL
ties has been the development of the
people in wisdom and greatness. When
these facilities reached but few at
wide intervals, IL was a blessing. The
tardy system by which letters were
carried by canal and horses from
the East to the western frontier
at great expense was blessing f;
and when steam was harnessed to
the mails and delivered its precious
freight to the large cities and towns
TO which the people went from miles
around to get the weekly paper, the
benefits were still greater. Larger vet
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 Republican policy, was 1t 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 nation rests for that stability and
wisdom which is unmoved by new and
untried schemes, and In whom is cast a
safe anchor when storms Of corruption
and squalls of political decisions beat
against the ship Of state; not until re-
cent years have any of these people
from the country received the benefits
or free delivery, and not nearly all of
them do now. Yet judged by policy. OIL
right, is any class more entitled to the
benefits OF free delivery with its con
slant dissemination Of useful knowl.
edge?
IL PopulariHes Country Life.
When munici. alities are being crowd,
ed and congested by people drawn from
the country and from foreign lands, 1t
is the part OF wisdom to encourage life
In the country: and with electric roads,
telephones and rural delivery, the bene-
nts OF city life have been extended, and
municipal boundaries have been 70.
moved. Democrats talk as IL Republi-
cans were making concessions TO the
people of the country by arranging for
the extension of rural mail service.
when in reality the Republican party
is simply aiding the rural districts TO
come into possession of a portion Of
their own.
Democrats "View with Alarm"
Democrats are viewing with
alarm" the possibilities of deficit in
connection with the extension of the
rural free delivery service. That there
viii 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 1t can best serve the peo-
pie at present, and recoup the govern
ment treasury later. After three wears
the rural free delivery service will be
more than self-supporting. The re-
ceipts of the Postothce Department
have been largely increased already
since rural delivery was established
and every route of any age shows n
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 Of.
feet of rural delivery Its benefits
reach every other department. ana
much of the general increase in busi.
ness can be traced to it.
Aids Character building.
But Is 1t necessary that the system
should be sefsupporting to entitle II
to the support Of the Republican par.
ty? Do we maintain schools, found
and support colleges because they arc
sef-supportng? DO we not provide
general education because that peopl,
is greatest and most prosperous which