Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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E%iTABLISHED 185 EBRRr .C,TUESDAY, MAH18192TWCAWE.150AYR. RURAL FREE DELIVERY. BON. A. C. LATIMERS SPEECAt IN VON GREis. He Opposes the Bill placing Rural Delivery Service Under the Contract System. Deilvered In the House of Rep resentatives March 6th. The House being in Committe, of the Whole, and having under considera tion the bill (E. R. 11728) to classify the rural free-delivery service and fix the compensation to employees thereof. Mr. Latimer said: Mr. Chairman: During the ten years that I have been a member of this house, I have learned, in listen. ing to the debates on the multitude of propositions that have been pre seated here,' that there are ger'-e men on this floor who can make a good argument on either side of a question. I realize that there are two sides to most propositions which come up for dissussion, here. The varied in terests and conditions of the coun try give rise to divergent views upon nearly every publie question. But th argument and practical policy of the question before the house are so aleiAly on one side that I am at a Ioss to understand why there should be a difference of opinion in relation The great advantages derived by the people from.the rural free-deliv er system, I take it, are not in ques. gen in this discussion. We are all Agreed upon the merits of the sys tem, and it is upon a questign of ad 'Mnistration only that we disagree. ~he leading points that have been made in favor of the bill placing the ral delivery service under the con tmc6 system are, first, that it will prove economical to the government pd will e'qualize the compensation Athe carriera, and, second, that it Will largely remove the service from -. political influences. As to the first proposition, it is a remarkable fact that where service sto be rendered in the country or tral districts the question of econ y is always predominant; but we hear no complaint of the fact that in the cities the carriers of mail rece~ive frem $600 to$,000 'per annum for eight hours' service, nor do we hear the proponents of this bill complain inug that the number of carriers for the cities has been doubled in order order that the mail can be delivered from fourwt ten times a day to a .population living within easy reach of the post office, the most remote being nbt more than half a mile *away from the main post office or a substation, with street cars penetrat ing every section of the city, and lautifully paved streets to walk~ on *in case exerciee is desired. Thbese highly favored fellow-citizens must have mail carriers who are exempt -from the injurious contract systen., lest the service &s crippled, the ques tion of economy not being cousid ered; but it must be 8pplied to the rural mail carrier, it matters not how much it will degrade and lower tbe standard of the service. Why this discrimination in favor of the cities? Can it be successfully contended that the city can not be laid off ino routes as clearly defined as those in the country, or that the city service requires superior fitness or qualities not required in the rural carrier? There can be no force in the first proposition, and it is well known that the city carrier is not re quired to register letters, handle re ceipts for the same, or sell stamps and envelopes, all of which the rural carrier is required to do If you will examine the question you will find that the carrier on rural routes has much greater responsibilities than the carrier on the city routes. He is in fact a traveling post office, and if a discrimination is to be made it should be in his favor. Besides, the city carrier does not have to un dergo the hardship of exposure to rain, sleet, snow, mud, and all kinds . of weather. Many of the large build ings in New York and Chicago, as stated by the gentleman from Illi nois, require four and five carriers to deliver the mail to the occupants. Is it to be contended that these car riers who ride on elevators in com fortable buildings shall be exempt fro- the contrac system and allow ed to draw from $800 to $1,000 per annum, while the rural carrier, with greater responsibilities and compelled to undergo exposure to all kinds of weather, is to be ground down to the lowest price which a competitive bid will force? If economy is your object-and you contend that millions of dollars will be saved annually to the gov ernment by the contract system-why pat the $7,000,000 paid the rural carrier under the contract system, and at the same time squander over seventeen millions to the city carrier under the salary system? I will go further and say. If the contract system will result in as good service and a saving of millions in the rural free delivery service, why do you not frame a bill and pass it putting the Railway Mail Service and the post masters throughout the country un der the same economical system? You could easily have all applicants who pass an examination submit bids for the service by contract, and let it go to the lowest responsible bidder. Your answer that the law now pro vides for salaries to the city carrier, the railway mail clerk, and the post masters, and that you are not now dealing with that problem, is no an swer. The postoffice and post roads committee has the right and power to frame a bill and present to this house providing for the repeal of ex isting law, and it is to be said that where inequalities exist, where a use less waste of public money can be prevented by a change in the law, that this body which created the law is to stand in awe of an act because it protects a certain favored class and gives to the city carrier, railway mail clerk, and postmasters a salary system at a loss of mil.ions to the government? Will you refuse to re peal the law, and at the same time strike down the rural carrier to a competitive bid basis, a contract sys tem which has never given satisfac tion to the people after a fair trial, upon the false and specious plea of economy ? If economy is what we are after, let us be consistent; let us commence at the beginning and carry it all along through the service of the government. Mr. Chairman, the chairman of the committee [Mr. Loud] has op posed in the past many needed re forms in the postal service and stood, as he stands today, in opposition to the polic'ies advocated by the post oflice department, as well as by many of the best informed men on postal matters in the country. I remember in the last congress when I offered an amendment to the postoffiee bill, providiog that all towns should have free delivery, be opposed the amend mnt, and it was ruled out on a point of order. I then appealed to him to report a bill, giving the house an op portunity to do justice to more than 20000,000 of our people who live in towns without free delivery service. I stated to him that the cities above 10,000 inhabitants had free delivery and tbe country had rural delivery, and that tbe honse ought to have an opportunity to do tardy justice to the towns; but he and his committee refused to take any steps in that di rection. We tried last session to amend the star route service by requiring the contractor to live on toe route, and in that way remedy the evil that ex isted in that serv~ice, but the amend ment was ruled out on a point of or der made by the chairman of the committee, who was against the amendment. The postoffice depart ment, however, realizing the miser able service that the rural districts had to endure by reason of the sub contracting system, issued an order to the effect that all new contracts in the star route service shonld be let to residents on the route. Thbis reform, which was resisted by the chairman of the committee, has been endorsed by him today. So we may expect to find the honorable gentleman con tending against the contract system one year from now. His recommend ation of this so called reform, there fcre, loses much of its force and ef fet wvhen viewed in the light of his mistakes of the past. Again, it has been contended by heavocnates of the bill that the lengtL of the routes are not uniform that the roads vary from level, ma cadamized, to hilly, mountainous and muddy roads, and that, there fore, the contract system is the onl3 just and equitable one. In reply tc this contention, I will state whai every member knows to be true, thal on many of the worst roads to b( traveled the anxious bidder, undei the contract system, will, in hif anxiety for the contract, do as ha been done in the star-route service submit a bid much below the amouni paid for service over better roadf and for less than the service will actually cost. It may be said thal that is the contractor's fault. Bui that will not equalize the service: nor better it, surely. Must wE hae economy at the cost of total ruin and destruction of the service! Is such a proposition worthy ol the name of economy? A bet ter plan than that proposed by this bill would be to pay all carrierE $25 per mile, and a certain per ceni additional in all cases where thE roads to be traveled are of such na ture as to make the additional pei cent equitable, the route agent oi inspector being required to report or the condition of the road. This plan will pay the carrier or a route of 24 miles $600, which iE adeqnate, and will, in addition, guar antee good service in every commu nity. But I contend that the pe cent for bad roads is not so neces sary as would appear at first glance, for the reason that $25 per mile will not, as a rule, be more compensation to the carrier who travels good roadE than it will be to the carrier whc travels rough roads. The opportu nities to Make money and to sav( money will about equalize the differ ence in the condition of the roads: that is to say, the'carrier who trav els good roads, the community being populous, living will be higher and expenses greater, while, bn' the othei hand, his opportunity to make dollar will be greater; whbreas the carrier on bad roads will be able kc live for lees, his expenses will be less, and his money will buy more in his thinly settled community. As to the political phase of this proposition, I fail to see much differ. ence between the two systems. The party in power can use either foi political purposes, and if the Re. publican administration uses it we will have the same privilege wher we come into power. I have never eard of any system, the civil service included, that could not be manipu lated in the interest of the party it power. I remember discussing thE civil service with an officer of thE government who had taken chargE of a bureau of one of the depart. ments. I said to him: "Suppose yot had a chief of division or a clerk it your bureau who was objectionable to you, what could yon do under the rules of the civil service, while he performed efficient service, to rid yourself of him ?" He replied thai it would be easy to abolish the office held by the objectionablE person, and after he was out re es tablish it. I unhesitatingly state that if I waw in charge of any department of this government, with the responsibility of good administration resting or me, I would warA~ emnployes in ful accord and harmony with me, ani would certainly feel kindly, t.here fore, to the adherents of the party t< which I belong. If it seems desira ble, the party in power can manipu late the offices under any system This we might as well concede now The rural service under the salar' system is about as free, and more sc perhaps, from political m aniipulatioi as any other service of the govern ment. I desire to say that ever appointee in my district, som seventy-odd, who is engaged in de livering the mail on rural routes, ha been appointed upon my recomn mendation, and every one of thenr so far as I know, is a Democrat, an< I presume those who will be ar pointed there to complete the serv-ie will be Democrats. But you Democratic membersi close districts, who have not been s well treated, and have had no voic improve that condition under the contract system? The special agent, under that system, will pass upon or examine the bids and recommend which bid shall be accepted, and the department will have the right of selection. Both plans, I believe, are equally capable of being used for political purposes, if so desired. The recent order requiring all appli cants for carrier's position to stand an examination removes the service as far from political influence as is possible under any system. Then the question is narrowed down to this one proposition-the best service at the lowest price, every thing being considered. I am, there fore, against this bill, and in my judgment we will accomplish the best results by passing the appro priation for the rural delivery ser vice just as we do for the city delivery service, in a lump sum and without restriction, leaving to the depart ment the task of working out the de tails along lines suggested by ex perience and a wide kiowledge of postal affairs. The department has developed the service to its present high state of usefulness to the general satisfaction of the country and a large majority of this house, and I have heard no sound reason for a change except upon the ground of economy and freedom from political influence, both of which arguments have been fully answered and left without force in this discussion. Let me, in conclusion, appeal to the friends of rural free delivery to stand in solid phalanx against this bill, and every other proposition brought in here by the enemies of the ser vice. This appeal is made on behalf of millions of our people who live on farms or follow other avocations away from the mail advantages of towns and cities. Before the estab lishment of rural delivery these peo ple rarely received mail more than once or twice a week, and were, con sequently, practically cut off from knowledge of and interest in the affairs of the world. Only those who have led the life of a farmer in the thinly settled communities of this country can properly appreciate the great blessing that this service is to the country people. I beg you not to cripple it by any false notions of economy. The farmer' who was wont to labor in the fields day in and day out and go home at night to his frugal meal and lonely fireside, with nothing to relieve the monotony of existence save, perhaps, the occasional visit of a friend from the neighboring farm, is now taking a daily paper, which is delivered at his door, and after his work is over he reads it and keeps abreast of the times. He has thrown off the lethar gy of isolation and taken on the spirit of progress and improvement. He receives daily reports from the mar kets, and knows when and where to send his produce for sale; he introdu ces new methods in his work, which reduces labor and expense; he diver sifies his crops accoi-ding to the de mands of the market, and be takes a lively interest in the public ques tions of the day. He is, in short, an up-to-date American citizen, broad ening and expanding in productive power and intellectual force, and it is but just to say that the system of Ibringing to him his mail daily has Ibeen a great step in the accomplish ment of this wonderful change. Let Sus not take from the country people -the one boon that the government has given them directly; but let us foster it and improve it; so that it will meet the growing needs of the hour, and in building up the country people build up every other occupa tion and branch of industry. LE~T'TER FROM SENATOR TILLMAN. He ExplainM His Remarks Made in HIS Apilogy to the Senate. [Greenwood Journal, 11th.] senator Tillman has been severely jcriticised by the press and individ - als from one end of the country to the other in reference to the language he used in his apology to the Senate. SWhile his frends could not clearly Sfn(derstandl his meaning when he said that having b)een governor of Maouh Carolna had unfitted him in a measure to conform to the rules of a high deliberative body, such as the Senate of the United States, they were confident that he could not have intended any reflection upon the of fice of governor of this State or its people. For this reason Mr. D. H. Magill wrote him to explain and the senator replied in the following let ter: United States Senate, Washington, D. C., March, 4, 1902. Hon. D. H. Magill, Greenwood, S. C. Dear Sir:-I have your kind let ter of March, 1st. In reference to the expression used by me in my apology to the Senate, that "My pre vious service as Governor of South Carolina for four years had unfitted me in a measure to enter this august assembly, with the dignity and re gard-proper regard-I will say, for its traditions and habits and rules that is desirable." I would say that the only reasonable construction to put on the words, and my meaning was that when I was governor it was my business to handle problems, m-any of them very important and without consulting any one, and act entirely on my own responsibility, and the habit of mind which natur ally resulted, from that manner of thought and action, and the work as executive, unfitted me in a measure for service here. None but a gan grened imagination, or some one anxious to misconstrue, will think that I meant that a governor of South Carolina can not be dignified and act with decency and courtesy on all occasions. Things are so different in the Senate that I have never yet become used to them. While I am writing, I wish to say that my action here was a necessity, and while I regret as much as any one that circumstances were of a na ture, so I had no alternative but to strike my colleague, I believe my ac tion meets with the approval of a large majority of the Democrats in the House and Senate. Not that they approve the giving of a blow in the Senate, but they think there was nothing else to do, and had 1 taken the lie my own self-respect would have been gone, and my ser vice here in the future of no effect. So then, I have but one comment to make in answer to newspaper criticisms published in South Caro lina. It does look hard, that when I am making the best fight I can against the Republicans here, and acting in the capacity of one of the fighters in the Senate, delegated by the Dem oratic side to answer the strongest Republican, Senator Spooner, on a party question, that some of my own people, Democrats in reality or ap parently, should stab -ne in the back, while I am engaged all along the line in front by Republicans. It however demonstrates the fact that there are some in South Carolina, who are anti Tillmanites, first and Democrats afterwards and will seize on any and every thing to give me a stab. We will let that pass though, and I will go back to my people feeling, as I have felt for a long while that I have the respect and support of a -large majority of them and for those who are so narrow and prejudiced as to be unable to see any good in any thing that I do, I feel only contempt and pity. The dinner incident was not of my making and in that I have no doubt as to the sentiment of the folks at home. The statement has been made that it was an official dinner. This is untrue because Pierpont Mor gan, Robt. Lincoln and ten or fifteen other private citizens were invited. The invitation to me came unsought. I had no special desire to attend the function but before I had any notice whatever that it was desired that my acceptance be withdrawn the whole thing was ventilated in the- morning papers, and I was thus notified pub licly that the President was trying to punisL a Senator, before the Sen ate had taken action. Had the Pres ident sent a mutual friend, in a quiet way suggesting thiat it would be an awkward situation, any man who knows me at all, knows how quickly I would have relieved him of his.-em* barrassment. Thanking you for your kind letter and with good wishes. Yours sincerely, B. R. Tillman. IS IT WARREN'S BODY, OR IS IT A FAKE? PARTLY DE. OMPOSED CORPSE FOUND IN EDISTO RIVER. Near Scene of Train Robbery- Envelopes ( and Weapons Indicate That It is the Bold Exprema Robber Bat Proof Is Yet Lacking. [Special to The State.] Orangeburg, March 14.-The ful- a ly-dressed body of a white man was v found today in the Edisto river below C Branchville, one-quarter of a mile from where .ie safe was recently left by robbers. On his person were I found a number of addressed express envelopes and two money bags with money in them. Two pistols were buckled to the body and a cartridge belt with cartridges in it. Bartow e Warren's friends who have seen the d body say they think it is his. I THE DESCRIPTION. The body described is that of a 'v man of a medium size, 5 feet 8 inches n tall, fully dressed and well dressed. u The whole body is slightly decom- d posed, the face not being recogniza- t ble. The man had a full set of good p teeth except that one of the upper n front teeth is gold filled. He had a s full beard. Of the express envelopes, t one was addressed to J. Warren t Stratton, Athens, Ga.; one to D. M. s Degolia, Augusta, Ga.; one to Booth & Batman, Athens, Ga.; and there g was some kind of package addressed to p C. D. Dukes, Pregnall's, S. C. There I were two pistols, one a Smith & Wes- e son, five-inch barrell, the other a 38- s calibre Colt's, six inch barrel. He a had a cheap Ansonia watch. There M were two money bags found in his pockets and each contained some s money. This money was not de- ( scribed. 1 The body was foRnd by Cornelius C Ott at Minus' landing, Colleton 1 county. There is a difference of t opinion as to the exact point where t the body was found, whether it was a below or above the spot where the ( safe was dumped into the river, but t the best opinion is that it was one- 1 quarter of a mile below. Those who t know Warren say that from the ar- e tiles found upon the body the indi- a cations are all that it is Bartow War t ren. The teeth, they say, indicate c that it is Bartow Warren. a A very close inspection of the body and papers has not yet been made, as it was pulled from the river on the Colleton side and left on the bank, where it will have to wait the arrival of the coroner of that county. There were no evidences of death I from wounds of any kind. The dates z on the postmarks of the letters and t packages that could be disciphered c was Jan. 27, the night of the hold- i up of the Southern train, and the taking away of the express safe. x ANOTHER ACCOUNT. [Special to The State.] Branchville, March 14.-The body of a man-supposed to be that of Bartow Warren-was found floating in Edisto river it:is morning about a quarter of a mile below where the express safe was thrown in the river some time ago. The body is badly decomposed andE up to this time has not been posi- , tively identified. There were a shell belt and two pistols buckled around the body. There were express envelopes in the man's pockets, but they have not been examined yet. The coroner of Colleton county has been notified t and will probably hold the inquest < tomorrow morning. One eye and half of the side of the t face are gone. The body measures 5 1 feet 8 inches; the shoe is number six,< the hand resembles that of a woman. There is a gold filling in one tooth. I A belt around the body contains two 1 38-calibre, 6-incb barrel pistols and he wore one cheap nickle watch, showing time 8:45. Biue coat and vest and dark check pants are the attire. On account of the decomposition of the body it could not be positively identified, but from what parties say it is almost certain that it is the body of Bartow Warren. If not Warren it is almost certain that it is the body of ne t the men connected with the )xpress robberry near Fifty-eight on he night of January 27th. The in inest has not been held and a guard vll be left with the body until the oroner arrives. There are several express envel pea found on the body containing ome money but the amount is not :nown. The most reasonable theory ad anced is that in crossaig the river ,fter dumping the safe, the robber, eighted by the heavy pistols and artridges was drowned. W'LAURIN ALONE FAVORS SUBSIDY. eat of south Carolina Delegation Opposes the Bill. [Special to Charleston Post. Washington, March 14.-With one xception the entire South Carolina elegation 'are apposed to the sub idy bill. Friends of Senator Me jaurin say that he will probably, ote for the bill, but the senator has ot taken the floor in the senate pon the measure. All the remain er of the delegation are 'opposed to de bill, and will so vote when the roper time comes. Senator Till ian has spoken against the bill, and :me of the members of the delega on intend speaking against it when e bill reaches the house of repre Dntatives. There is no doubt but the bill will o through the senate, and in all robability the vote of Senator Mc aurin will be the only vote it re Bive from the Democrts-if the anator votes for it. Under the greement given last week the vote rill be taken Monday afternoon. The Georgia, and other Southern anators, are solid against the bill. f the speeches which has been de vered thus far, those of Senator lay, of Georgia, and Senator Mal )ry, of Florida, have been the most horough, both senators having given Le question the most thorough con ideration. The speech of Senator Jlay has been extensively commented .pen by the Republican senators rho have spoken in support of the ,ill. It is conceded by the Republi ans that the speech of the Georgia enator was most exhaustive, and that be senator showed that he was thor ughly conversant with the question t issu. MAlISGAL MELTON's TERM. :xpired, But He Aln serve Until His Suc ce.,or Qualifies. The term of the United States 4arshal Lawson D. Melton expired ecently but according to the rule of be department, the incumbent will. ontinual serve until his successor is ppointed and qualifies. The law was formerly that the iarshal was appointed for four years inly, the term expiring on the date, >ut it was amended since Marshal Lelton was appointed and he will onsequently serve until his succes or is appointed. Col. Melton is a candidate for re ,pointment. A hard fight is how er being made against him at Wash agton. A number of candidates are ut for the place, as has been stated, ,nd.it remains to be seen to whom nll fall the plum. HOME FROM THE PHILIPPINES. Kr. Allan Gray Returns to Columbia from Aparri. Columbia, March 14.-Allan Gray, he gallant Columbia boy who was mee of the first up San Juan hill, in Juba, and has been since serving in he Philippines in the regular army, ias returned to Columbia, having re :ently been mustered out of service. while at Aparri young Gray pub ished the Aparri News, an army pa >er, which attracted considerable at M'LAUIN GETS A HORSE lent by South Carolina Friends--TO Name .Him McKinley. Washington, March 14.-A horse which was presented to Senator Mc Laurin by some of his South Caro lina admirers, arrived in Washington this morning. The senator says he may name him "McKinley."