The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-18
Newspaper Telographic Enterprise.

NcWsPupcE AeiC8Fupuic EutcHpEiscs
There can be no better evidence OF the effect
which newspaper enterprise has had upon the
progress OF the telegraph system than the re-
cent successful efforts of the HERALD to lay
before the public, through the medium Of spe
cial dispatches, all the leading events trans
piring in Europe. From day to day every
thing of Importance occurring in the Old
World is faithfully recorded in our columns
each morning, diligently despatched by our
European correspondents over the Atlantic
cable. Thus we find in the columns Of many
leading provincial papers in one day half
dozen items of important foreign news credited
to the Especial dispatches of the New YORK
HERALD A ''HERALD special from Madrid
reports the surrender of the insurgents at
Cadiz. Another Especial from Vienna tells
of the ultimatum offered by Turkey to Greece;
another Especial from Havana gives the
latest phase of the Cuban instruction. We
quote these from o single column of New
York newspaper, all of which important items
of news are frankly credited to the special
cable dispatches of the HERALD. And this is
not the half of them.
The telegraph, as at present conducted, is
peculiar. In the first place it is in the hands
Of monopolies, which pile up the prices beyond
the capacity of the general public to bear,
whereas it ought to be cheap medium for the
communication of thought and intelligence be-
tween thepeople. Its influence is certainly to
accelerate all the actions of life in the entire
community. Again, it has been always the
custom, wherever it is advantageous for one
line to be run at cheap rates where there is
opposition in the field, to put up the tariff on
other branches in order to make up the def
cheney. In many of these cases, as with rail
road and steamboat lines also, running in
opposition, one of the opposition lines is beaten
out of the field, the prices go up and the
public are the sufferers. Now, it is evident
that as one of. the leading elements of civiliza-
ton the use of the telegraph should be ex-
tended as much as possible to all classes, and
at rate within the reach of all. At present
prices it is only at the command of capitalists,
to whom it furnishes in many instances undue
advantages at the expense of the general
Ooalcr, VINO CANNOT aHOru 10 command the
tariff demanded by the telegraphic monopoly.
Wherever government control of the tele-
graph assimilates to the management of the
postal system, or the money order system, it
is quite as successful as these two plans Of
communication. Under the government the
cost of building line would be economical,
because we know that all chartered companies
are extravagant in their outlay, trusting to the
public to repay them, and taking very
good care that it does repay them.
But the prices required to pay for the extrava-
gance have to be drawn from the people, and
hence, in a great measure, the uses of the tele-
graph are confined to spectators, bankers,
brokers and ambitious capitalists, instead of
being popular institution, as free and almost
as cheap as the Post Office.
The telegraph can only become thus avail
able by the government assuming control of it,
as the British government has wisely done.
To further this end the chambers of COM
merce and the boards of trade throughout the
country should move in the matter and pc
tition Congress to establish telegraph depart
ment of the government on the same principle
as the Post Office Department.