The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-01
fHE TEEE9RxPHzHH D5THE Cow
II ERHMRNT.
Firom lie Cincfnndl Gazette.

4nb llueo Az kUt
United States, from the date of theii
Inauguration down to the present time
3 has been OYER done Thers are now too
! many wires for the bnkiness, at the
prices that are charged. consequently,
there are few, IL any, lines that pay q
fair interest on the cost of their con-
struction.
sSogreat is the cost of maintaining
and operating lines, too, that It is q
question whether sufficient business
could be done, as it is conducted at very
y low rates, 70 pay Expenses, IN bust
pess hontss for mple, there is'a greas
rushof messages say from "a. q, ITO
p. M.-that is, between commerciai CEN
tres. After O'Clock there Is compare
lively but little business, except what
is furnished by the newspapers. Con.
sequently, in the after.pRrt ofthe day,
and during the night many opera tors
are idle. In order to make business
for this portion of the twenty-four
hours, the Telegraph Companies adopt
ed a low schedule of rates for night
messsgesg bpt thisF has been attended
with poor stIcceEs. The lines are
mainly used, 1t is found, by business
Il men Eand O. newspapers. Business
messages require immediate delivery,
and are not valuable except when
transmitted aud delivered during busi-
ness hours. Hence the reduced rates
for night messages has not created much
new business. Neither would low rates
for day messages create new business
| forwarded and deliyeredl Low rates
for day messages, prompt delivery be-
Ing insured, would undoubtedly largely
| increase the business, but this would
require more wires and more men. The
4 question, them IL, would the income at
creased expenditures Telegraph man.
ayers have decided this question in the
negatiyesG EliiDGGfn0
There is, 1t must be borne in mind, a
limit to the capacity of telegraph wires
for conveying news. Herein this sys-
tenn differs from the postal system.
Thereisi practically no limit to the ca
pacity OF the railroad companies for
carrying the mails, and, of course, the
profits of the postal department are in
proportion to the amount of business
they transact. FNI
These preliminary remarks are made
in order that the public may the better
understand the proposition aghichstas
been made, and Is being agitateds look
liDgto the purchase of the telegraph
lines by the government. LAnd.their OPP
Grafton in connection with the postal
system.
q Hheipretext is that the government
could afford to reduce the tariff to a low
point, say one cent per word for five
hundred miles or less, andFtwor cents
for over five hundred up to.onethons.
and, &c. This would make the tariff
between Cincinnati and New York
three cents, whereas Il ls now ten cents,
for private messages. This is the pre-
ment is this. There Re two parties
who favor the prop sitioh.N One of
these has been q ptetly buying up
on the dollar. They propose to have
Congress pass law authorizing the
President 10 appoint three commission
ers to value the telegraph lines of the
United States and providing for their
purchase as such va luation. Here isa |
afford an admirable opening for the
gentlemen who practice in the lobby. |
The second party faVoring the purchase
Is composed OF mem bers OF Congress
who are anxious to have the ranking |
privilege extended to the telegraph |
lines. What splendid thing it would
be fl henderson Congress- could suSe |
the telegraph lines free, as they use the |
mails. But the people would have to |
pay for the free business on the tele- |
graph lines-pay dearly, too, as they |
pay for the uses and abuses OF the pos |
tai Thanking privilege fO4 spa u |
Besides, the government, in conuec.
ton with the postal system Is mainly |
conspicuous for its mismRnagement. |
Itdoes not cornpete successfully with |
private enterprise, AID never can so |
long as the present abominable system |
of filling and yacating offices is contin.
ued,s The Telegraph Business ia deeis
dedIy com plicated. 1tfequlres skillful |
men to operate it. How would IL be II |
telegraph offices were to be filled as |
post offices and revenue offices are
filled? We need not stop to answer this
Besides, secrecy is an important fea.
ture of the telegraph business. 1t is |
not as carefully enforced as 1t should |
be; but what political machine the |
telegraph would Become II partisan poll
iticians should get hold oft Imagine
the telegraph during an exciting Presis
dental campaign, will one party con-
trolling the wires aud reading all the.
private dispatches III at passed over the
iinesi There would be no, secrecy |
about IL; neither would II be reliable, |
and IN the end II wonld cost the people |
more than those using ieawonld save.
Not one man In twenty ouid use the |
telegraph II rates. were even lower than |
is proposes; and. consequently nine.
teen men would be taxed for the ben0-
fit.of one. ~ -i- - -,
The whole thing wouId ba a taxsup- |
on the people. without compromising |
advantages. If private enterprise, WITH |
sharp competition, cannot carry mes |
saees between New York and otncin-
natl, at ten cents per word, and make
money, Che government could notdott'
at three cents, or at any price up TO |
ten, Nothing more certain than that.
Besides, the corruption connected with |
office holding and office getting, in this |
country, is Sufficient to cause The pep5
Pile to shudder at the mere proposition
to add tiftY thousand offices to the al |
ready enormous Federal patronage.
The government is staggering now I'M
der the tremendous load of corruption
consequent upon the Federal patron