The Falls City tribune., 1908-10-23

tlon in the world.
Practical Benefits 10 the People
No doubt the Democrats may inquire
rs TO what all this has TO do with the
welfare of American citizens. For
their enlightenment and information 1t
may be stated that, according To the
United States census of 1900, the for
eign born population in the United
States at that time was ~10,460,0S5. The
population, born of foreign percentage
tone or both parents having been born
in foreign eountries) was u ,l9s,939,
or a total foreign population of 36,-
659.02d. The report of the Imnigra-
ton Commissioner by years since then
shows hat 6.66s.6 56 have since come
to America. thus eking out the total
foreign population ut the present time
10 46,327 $50. This does not take any
note of increase since 1900 in Ameri-
can-born children. one or both of whose
parents are of foreign blood. Esiimat
ing that only one-hnif of this number
q, 663 .S40-write one letter TO foreign
countries every two weeks, or 26 weeks
each year, we have s ,04o letters
written annually, which. at the present
rate of ) cents postage each, amounts
to an expenditure of 5000, f52 annu-
ally. Under the present postal law
foreign correspondents may send let
ters to the United States collect but
Nyhap tIau raanh thnf. .lactinntian tho
recipient must pay double postage. Fig
uring the double postage on the same
basis, the foreign population of the
United States pay during each year,
for postage under the present system,
$1o,497. 456.
Under the new and cheaper postal.
charges advocated by the Republican
party, should the 2-cent rate become
universal, the foreign population in
the United States, to their direct cor
respondents, would only pay S3,249,576
annually for direct postage and $9,74S,-
72S, for letters sent to them from for
eign countries collect" In other
words. this Republican measure will
- Ab' hi6hib tGlNNil'o sNtoihNI III
zens OF our country. and those born
here of foreign %parentage $12,99S,25
annually, in the necessary correspond
ence with their loved ones abroad. But
perhaps the Democrats do not think
this is worth while.
Some GIaring Inconsistencies
At present an American can send a
letter 5000 miles by land-say from
Mexico to Alaska--for . cents. but
must pay 5 cents for a letter of half
the weight sent 800 miles to England.
An Englishman pays ; cents on a let
ter crossing the Atlantic, 800 miles,
and ? cents on one crossing the Indian
and South Pacific Oceans, 10000 miles,
to New Zealand. All this is TO be rem-
edied on October the first next, thanks
to an enlightened Republican admins
t%ration.
World Is Ready for Reduction.
1t will probably be but a short time
after the convention between this
try and England goes into effect, until
the dream of Il universal 2-cent letter
postage. %championed by the Republican
party, will be realized. Australia, New
Zealand and Egypt have already called
for the 2-cent rate. The Emperor of
Germany has said that IL England es-
tablishes Il 2-eent postage rate with
the United States, he will have Ger
many do the same. France, Italy.
South Africa, Japan, Belgium, Hol-
land, Denmark and Sweden would nee
little more than an invitation to fol
low suit.
A 2-cent postal rate would bind all
the South American republics and the
United States still more closely togeth-
or into a peaceful. reciprocal, progress
sive. civilization, which would mean a
more rapid development of both Ameri-
can continents and a new application
of the Monroe doctrine. With these
countries agreed, on the object desired,
the continent of Europe alone would
then be wholly outside this compre-
hensive postal union, and then the
cDItiutnthi poWtIS Woulu uot louS
stand aioof from it.
1t has remained for the United
States to take the initiative in a move
to reap the great glory of being the
! pioneers of a world wide 2-cent post
age. Millions OF our citizens will feel
almost us grateful for this beneiicenr
act as millions of slaves did, when the
Republican party broke the shackles
thai bound them to perpetual physical
services.
ppUAN,C pOTIrTEC EcT IrCTYVF