The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-01-15
IN. aeysrpnen. Telegraph.

RADICAL organ III bulb CITY OoAos W WAY ~A~
Of the telegraph monopoly and furnishes five
reasons why the telegraph business should not
be controlled by the government and form q
part Of the postal system. These reasons,
stripped of their verbiage, are in substance as
follows t.
l. The public markets in New York are for
the most part public nuisances, while II left
to private enterprise our supply Of food would
be better and cheaper than it is. Ergo, the
telegraph business can be better done by pri-
vate companies than by the government.
ii. The Post Office Department shows a
deficit of six million dollars in the business OF
carrying letters and should not undertake to
extend its sphere of operations until 1t can
produce better balance sheet.
I'LL That while the government telegraph
would cheaper the cost Of messages the clamor
for lower rates would prevent any profits to the
Treasury, and might even necessitate an out
lay which might be more pro6tably spent in
cheapening the price Of potatoes by establish
ing government potato-growing farms on
gigantic scale.
master Kendall riAed the mails and burned
abolition documents, and as General jackson
and Governor Marcy recommended that the
circulation of such documents through the Post
Office should be prohibited by law, 1t would
be unsafe to entrust the telegraph to the con-
troll of the government, witch must always be
in the hands of the dominant political party.
" That as our government is in debt and is
bounded by lobbyists for railroad subsidies it
had better build railroads than construct tele-
graphs ''where they are not wanted"
1t is difficult to resist the impression that
these arguments are cunningly devised to
damage the cause they affect to espouse.
Book farmers and bran bread philosophers
may regard public markets and potato patches
as of more Importance than the increase of ia
cilities and the cheapening Of rates in the tele-
graph business. But the people know that the
telegraph is the great agent Of civilization and
progress in the present age; that in the hands
of private monopoly and with its use con-
fined to the large capitalists of the country it
must become an instrument of oppression and
injustice instead of public benefit, and that
in America, with its extensive territory, it is
essentially necessary that low and uniform
tariff should prevail. A telegram is only
condensed letter, and the telegraph lines are
nothing more than quicker post than the rail
road trains. The telegraph and the postal
system are therefore practically identical and
should both be managed by the government,
or both be in the hands of private enterprise.
There is not one business man in
the country out of ten thousand who
would be willing to abolish the gov
eminent Post Office and to entrust the
delivery of letters to private companies. No
one doubts that if the transportation of the
mails was left to corporations managed by
rings and bound to earn dividends for the stock
holders the rates of postage to distant points
| would amount almost to prohibition of cor
respondence. The fact that the revenues OF
the Post Office are now materially less than
the receipts is in a great measure due to the
encroachments of the telegraph upon that
department It is well known that telegraph
lines, honestly constructed and honestly
managed could make fair profit upon mes
| sages at tariff but little higher than the
present rates of postage, and hence the two
means of Communication, working together,
could be made selfsupporting. We have the
experience Of all European countries that hav e
tried the experiment in support of this pro-
position against the bare assertion Of those
who oppose the government plan.
| It is scarcely worth while to refute the alb
| surd argument that it would be dangerous to
entrust the control Of the telegraph in the
hands of the government during Presiden-
tial campaign. The same reasoning would
hold good in far greater degree in regard to
the Post Office; for persons confide secrets to
the mail which they never, under any circum-
stances, would place upon the telegraph wires.
SO far as outlay Is concerned, the main argu-
ment in favor of government telegraph Il
based upon the experience that the lines car
be made to pay; and thus, instead Of becom
ing a charge upon the Treasury, the business
would yield fair profit, and by its amalgama-
ton with the Post Office would more thar
cover the present deficit in that department.
THE FRANCO AMERICAN ATLANTIC CABLE
Our cable dispatches from London, received
last night inform us that the steamship Grea
Eastern has commenced taking on board thu
submarine cable of the Franco-AmericaI
Atlantic Telegraph Company. 1t is expected
the Great Eastern win sail in June to lay tn
cable from Brest to the American coast.
ANOTHER RED RIVER CAMpAIGN-Banks
fizzIe on the proposed Hayti protectorate.
WASHINGTON PAsrRy-Seven and fort,
blackbirds in radical pie.
The Forty-scven Jacobins In Congress.
We presented yesterday the siMouettes Q