The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-21

Congress.
The astounding rascality developed in the
Erie Railroad stock operations and gambling
and the corrupting influences of such practices
show the necessity of some comprehensive
legislation on the subject of railroads. tits not
only that the stockholders are swindled, that
confidence game is practised upon the public,
and that men combine together for the express
purpose Of cheating the unwary, but it has be-
come question of public morality. This great
agent Of modern progress, the railroad, cannot
be dispensed with. The vast territory Of the
republic will be covered by railroads like net
work and the capital In them will become
| prodigious and very powerful for evil
or good. But il they are to be in the
hands of few unprincipled men, and are
to be used like the faro bank, for gambling
and swindling, they will corrupt the whole
community and become curse. We see how
demoralzing khe present system Of railroad
management aud railroad stock gambling has
become in the fact that the managers and
stock operators, as in the case Of Erie, boast
Of their rascality just as Barnum has Of his
humbug cheats Wealthy men, professors Of
religion. and those who pass for the most
respectable members Of society, un-
blushingly boast Of their successful
tricks in cheating the public. We have laws
against usury, but 1t is more necessary to have
them against such gigantic and barefaced
swindling. Railroads are national in their char
acter; they run in and through all the States,
connecting one with the other; they are the
modern post roads, and consequently they
should be subject TO the laws of the nation.
Congress should put them and the conduct of
their managers under general system of
laws, 80 as to prevent stock gambling and
swindling combinations and TO protect the
public.
These remarks apply with greater force, II
possible, to the magnetic telegraph. II has
become the medium OF communicating intelli-
gence and Of transacting business to the whole
community. II is the most efficient and pow
time Of rebellion or war, as we have realized
by experience. All the great interests Of the
country, private and public, are under its
influence. The press, and the people, through
the press, depend upon it for information. In
fact, il il the greatest agent Of civilization and
progress ever known. Such being the case,
ought the telegraph to be In the hands Of few
individuals or the monopoly Of one or two com
panies? Ought the public at large, the press
and the business Of the country, to submit to
the caprices, dictation and high charges OF a
set Of adventures and stock operators like
those who have the management of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company? Why, at
this very time this Western Union monopoly
has the audacity to dictate to the Associated
Press what journals shall belong to the organi-
cation and which shall or shall not receive the
news. II assumes to control the Independent,
press of the country. II ventures to threaten
the HERALD with It's wrath because we dared
TO collect news in our own way and chose no
10 wait for its pleasure and action. VIVA
monstrous assumption!
Neither. the press nor the people OF tn
United States will submit to such monopoly
and dictation. Che time has come when the
government should take control Of the tele.
graph, as IL has now Of postal communication
The safe, secret and cheap transmission Of in
telligence by telegraph has become more i'm
portant 10 the public a. large than the con.
veyance Of letters The whole country should
be penetrated by wires owned and managed BY
shc government in The interests OF the people.
The British government has found II necessary
TO do this When Il frs. proposed to nation
aiize the telegraph, the same as the Post Once
Department the Electric Telegraph Company
OF England, vast monopoly like that Of the
Western Union here, became alarmed for III