New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-26
CABLE MONOPOLY.

If any Government or private company shall
see fit to lay an Electric Cable for Telegraphy
between foreign country and ours, we well
come it to our shore, provided our eountTymen
are allowed the same privilege. To say that
Onr coast and our ports shall be free to for
eigners, while our people shall be denied the
privilege of laying cables to their coasts re-
spectively and opening offices in their seaports
and capitals, is what We did not suppose any
American would do. Yet The World, after
weeks Of beating about the bush, comes out
squarely in favor of this injustice and indig-
nifty in the interest of tho Erlanger- Reuter-
Cable, as follows:
"wheB ever, Congress takes up tho subject discus.
sion OF that legal constitutional question will he in
order Here and now IL Is sufficient to say that Opin
ion against the asserted authority purely practical
grounds well In point OF law. For pie in
prevention by our Government could practically effect
"a The interest Of h new Sa6 D, COMPANY got mp WITH
made TO Baron Erlsnger and his associates And, II
capital it would never dream OF running its line
to the coast OF France; Therefore, whether the
to be laid between France and America, pro.
matter OF no consequence New cables may indeed be
Laid and by the dozen, anybody Will pat the money;
them would be TO MAKO money, they would go whero
most messages originate. They might 80 TO Germany.
years to iiSely to confer the exchanges OF
Europe they would not go where commercial business
Ia insufficient In amount where the share OF CONNER
oial business they nght hope to get would DO INSULT
cen In amount 70 pay the cost OF new cables maRe
nance"
All this may or may not be conclusive
against the expediency Of laying another cable
to the coast of France, but it does not affect
the question of right. If there is no proba-
bility that another cable will ever bo laid to
France, there is the less excuse for monopoly
so invidiOus and unjust as that of the Erlan-
ger-Reuter Company. If you think Congress
will submit TO it, just wait and see
The right of the Federal Government to con-
troll matter so purely and gravely intema-
tiOnal as the connection of this with foreign
countries by Ocean Telegraphs, is 80 ostenta-
tiously challenged that our Government must
assert its right or it will be justly held to have
surrendered it. Thus, ex-Gov. Bullock of
Massachusetts, is reported to have said, in q
dinner given in Paris on the list ult., that
1.-THE steamer soon about 10 start which shall carry 20
our shores the only cable actually joining Europe with
local PRIDE take to heart what hSye read during M1 mS
present stay In Parsthe act OF the Government OF my
own state OF MAssAcHUsRTTs-he only sovereignty that
could confer the bOograntng the right to land this cleo
trio messenger OF commerce and amy upon the coast Of
Cape Cod"
With such a challenge flung in its face, the
Federal Government would be recreant to its
trust if it did not assert and vindicate its ex-
elusive authority over all international inter-
ests and issues. Gov. Bullock is not content
with affirming the right of his hundred-mile-
square Sovereignty" to grant access to our
coast by foreign Cable companies-he denies
any such right to the Nation, in clear defiance
of that stringent provision of the Federal Con-
stitution which DEGREES that
enc state shall without tho consent Of C0ngresa.