The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-07
Tho Proposed Western Union Telegraph
Job at Washington.


We publish elsewhere communication
dated from the Executive Office, Western
Union Telegraph Company" &c, &C., and
signed civilian Orion, President )" "B. r.
McAlpine, Vice President" and 80. II. Palmer,
Secretary and Treasurer" which imposing and
formidable mssve informs us that "No offer
to sell our lines, or any of our property, for
sixty millions, or for any other sum, has been
made, or authorized to be made, directly or
indirectly, either to the United States or to any
party Nor has any officer of this company, or
agent thereof or other person, made, or been
authorized or requested to make, any negotia-
ton, or to do or say anything relating to such
sale, or any sale whatever. In brief, our lines
have not been, are not now, and will not here
after, while entrusted to the management Of
the undersigned, be offered for sale," &C., &c.
From this it would appear that the sgners
of the formal pronuncamepto have not now,
and never have had, directly or indirectly, any
connection with, or any finger in, the nice little
job by which it is alleged that government is
to be induced to purchase, for the modes! sum
of sixty million dollars, the Western Union
Telegraph lines, including all the rotten poles,
damaged wires, used up insulators, leaky mag
nets, out OF date keys, old batteries and other
rubbish that have from time to time been bought
up by that company in the process, of "consoli-
dation." The present occupants of the exocu-
tive Office" have evidently been left out in the
cold by the stockholders who are manipulate
ing tho Washington movement, and who pro-
badly contemplate making change in the
presidency, vice presidency, secretaryship and
treasury at tho next election of officers and
taking the management into their own hands,
provided they sec any prospect of car
rying their sixty million job to successful
issue. The high officials of joint stock COM
pany hold on an uncertain tenure, and very
sweeping changes are sometimes made by
stockholders in o single year. Nor do presi-
dents, vice presidents, secretaries and trea-
surers for the time being, sitting in their COM
Portable "executive Offices" always know oil
the intrigues, plots, man1uvres and schemes
that are going on in the companies of which
they are apt to consider themselves the sole
proprietos
But from whatever ring Of stockholders or
spectators the offer may come, the govern
mens would make bad bargain il it should
buy out the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany at . quarter Of the amount said 10 be
demanded. There are many persons who
think that the government ought to take all
the telegraph lines in the country into lis own
hands as legitimate branch Of the Post Office
business; but that Is no reason why IL should
purchase existing lines at four times their
value. On one point, however, there will be
probably no difference Of opinion. The United
States government should at least construct for
its own uses telegraph line to oil the import
ant points of the Union. This line would then
become the basis for . new telegraph system.
1t would constitute the min stem, and from II
branch lines, built by private local enterprise
might ramiiy to every town and village in the
country. Al all times tho government could
thus have the main line at its service, and when
not In the use of the government this line
could be open to the public at q just and
proper tariff. BY such plan telegraphing
would be put on correct basis, as the postal
system now Is. The electric telegraph has be-
come too much q necessity OF our social and
business organization for the public 10 be at
the mercy Of specializing directors who put
prices up or down as their occasions may
require.