The New York herald., 1868-04-20
Government and the Telesraphs.

buy up and control the magnetic telegraphs
for the public convenience and profit bill
for this purpose has been introduced in the
House of Commons by the Chancellor of the
| Exchequer. This is to enable the Postmaster
| General to acquire, work and maintain the
| telegraphs in the United Kingdom just as he
now manages the Post Offices and postal COM
munication. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
said with regard to this matter, 'that tele-
graphic communication and postal communica-
tion might be considered as coming within the
same category, as both provided for corre-
| spondence between persons at distance, and
the only difference was in the mode of COM
munication." He remarked, too, that the
| postal system having succeeded 30 well in the
hands of government, might not this other
mode of conveying intelligence He was not
aware of any objection to government mo-
nopoly in one case which would not hold good
in the other.
The same reasoning will apply to the United
States as to England. The government here
has monopoly in the conveyance of letters.
No one objects to that Indeed, after having
governmental postal system, we should think
any proposition to place it in the hands of in
dividuals or companies absurd This mono
poly in the hands of the government gives us
cheap postage with uniformity and expedition.
Why, then, should not telegraphs be operated
in the same way, so as to cheaper communica-
ton and make the operations uniform and i'm
partial over the whole country? This is one
of the strong arguments the Chancellor of the
Exchequer uses He says 1--WE have been suf
fering here from a high rate for telegraphic
communication and ''Our present system
| did not give satisfaction to the commercial
world" How much more forcibly these re-
marks apply to telegraphs in the United States
| The rates here are enormous and out of all pro-
| portion to fair return for the actual capital
invested After the stock of the companies
| has been watered and doubled and trebled to
| fill the pockets of the monopolists, without any
additional investment, the profits in most cases
are still stupendous. OF course these profits
| are tax upon the people generally. They are
a hoavy tax both upon general business
and the communication of intelligence.
But that is not the only evil. The
| gigantic telegraph monopoles in this
country assume to dictate to and to
control in measure the press, that great lever
of modern civilization. They are beginning TO
usurp the domain of intellect and thought.
This cannot be tolerated in free country, and
it will not be long before the government will
have to exercise some control over these vast
monopoles. Would it not be much better,
therefore, for government to take entire control
of the telegraphs and regulate their operations
on broad and liberal principle of equality to
all and for the benefit of the whole people?
The Chancellor of the Exchequer says truly
that the government would be able to work the
telegraphs at less cost and at much lower rates
than the companies, for all would be under one
direction and the machinery Of operation
greatly simplifed. He proposes that the Post
master General shall control them. The same
might be done here. A separate bureau of the
Post Onice Department could perform this
duty. Let Professor Morse, Cyrus W. Field
or e. 8. Sanford be placed in charge Of the
! Telegraph bureau, and we venture to say little
trouble would be given to the Postmaster Gene
raj All would move as smoothly as any one
| of the present divisions of the Post Office De-
partment. II could be made self-sustaining and
no charge upon the Treasury, while at the
same time the cost of messages to the public
would no, be half the present rates, or, per-
haps, not third. We call upon Congress to
take this matter up. The British government
has taken the initiative in this great and much
needed reform. Let us follow the example and
adopt comprehensive system adapted to our
: own institutions and territory
The magnetic telegraph is the most important
agent ofour times, amy time, in carrying the
h human family mp to the highest point Of civil
G zation. Great as have been the results so far,
we are only in the infancy of telegraphc pro-
gress. II takes but few days TO get news
from those remote parts of the world from
G which few years ago ittook months and which
:. we're scarcely known to the world outside Wit
: ness the kilograms in the HERALD every morn.
ing from the different quarters Of the globe,
). and our special dispatches from Abyssinia. in
e the interior OF Africa. Events that are occur.
e ring and ideas that are iermentinp everywhere
! are made known to us as regularly as the pro.
. ceedings Of Congress or the occurrences in New
r. York. But It will not be very long before the
u whole earth will be girdled by this mys
T. terious agent and all nations will be brought
=, in instant communication with each other
,s The barriers of local and national preiudice
is will be broken down, and there must be. il
1t time, frsm the universal communication O
= . ideas, a brotherhood Of nations. When tha
y time comes--and II Is not far off-not only will
,e the separate governments have to take contrc