Ignorant Governors

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

James Madison

Knowledge is power. And if you read this Smithsonian Magazine article about the “A Brief History of Children Sent Through the Mail ”, you will become unstoppable. Well, not really. You will learn that, yes, there are accounts of people, mostly from rurual communities, who mailed children via Post Office in the early 1900s. “Postage was cheaper than a train ticket,” quotes Post Office historian Jenny Lynch. “According to the regulations at that point, the only animals that were allowed in the mail were bees and bugs,” Lynch says. “There’s an account of May Pierstorff being mailed under the chicken rate, but actually chicks weren’t allowed until 1918.” Silly people.

About the author

James Madison (March 16, 1751 [O.S. March 5, 1750] – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the “Father of the Constitution” for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.