The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-25
KANSAS CO4AENT
MORE RURAL ROUTES.


MORE RURAL ROUTES
According to the dispatches from
Washington there will be 1900 new free
delivery routes established during the
means that the farmers are TO get mail
service to which they are entitled. IL
won't be many years until all farmers
in the country will be given free mai.
delivery. Years ago it was thought that
Tree rural delivery was but a dream:
Several routes were established and
they proved to be a great benefit and
q success from every viewpoint
But now the farmer. is not entirely
satisfied. He has become accustomed
to having mail delivered to him each
day except SUNDAY and he wants
more punctural delivery in the morning.
lie thinks he is entitled to this. he
wants to get the morning mail to look
over the market quotations. His bust
ness demands that he keep closely IN
touch with the markets and he also
wants to keep Informed regarding the
affairs of the entire world. Not many
years ago he was satisfied if he got his
mail once or twice week and usually
it was once a week when he would
drive to town on Saturday and get his
weekly papers and his letters. Now the
uncertainty of the hours of delivery
and the SLOW movements of the carriers
are a source of worry to the farmer.
The carriers are being Informed by the
department that they must have fast
schedule and keep to it.
In order to get better delivery it is
necessary that the country roads be
improved and for several years the de-
partment has been insisting that decent
roads be built where daily mail is car
ried. In some instances. the farmers
have done their part in improving the
roads. In others thew have done moth
ing. The good roads movement Will
greatly aid the carrier in the early de-
livery of the farmers mail. For this
reason alone the farmers should take
more interest in the good road move
nlent.-Wichita Eagle.
AN ANTI-TAF-T MOVEMENT.
1t, is reported whether correct or
rot we cannot say that dozen or
more of our citizens have gone to meet
cx-President Roosevelt and pour into
his ears statements hoping by TINS
means to prejudice him against the
president and thus pave the way for
a, Roosevelt boom to make him consent
to become a candidate in 1912. If these
men have really gone on such an err
rand it can be pretty safely said they
are a lot of Pinchot sympathizers and
disappointed officeseekers who have not
been able to gain a backdoor entrance
to the White House. and whose ideas
of their self importance were largely
inflated by the favoritism of the ex-
president.
That there is a somewhat formida-
BILE effort being made by anti-Taf=
persons to get Roosevelt to consent to
be candidate in 1912 cannot be doubt
ed.
The temptation to a man who is SO
fond of aduIation and f1attery as the
ex-president will be great, but as a
matter of fact he has not as much OIL
good results to show for his seven
years administration as has Taft for
his first year in the White House.
Roosevelt was and is great agitator
but his lack of diplomacy estranged
many in the senate and house and even
made many of his sincere friends luke
warm. if Roosevelt viii remain true IN
his friendship for Taft and abide his
time he will be a bigger man in the
estimation of the general public than
if he Yields to the wishes of those who
it is said have gone to meet him I'M
der the grise OF friendship.-New
Kansan-Repub1iean.
TOMBSTONES AS LEGAL TENDER.
At Concordia the other day an Old
Soak with q Big Thirst went to local
booze seller and traded his family
tombstone for nine quarts of whisky.
The Old Soak. who gave up the in
formation to the county attorney, fail
ed to tell what disposition the jointist
made of the graveyard decoration. The
iointist has been arrested and it is
thought may offer the tombstone to his
lawyer for a fee. 1t may possibly
develop that tombstones Will become
legal tender in booze cases. 1t would
be a most fitting and appropriate GUS
tom.-Manhattan Mercury.