The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-22
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EprroRiAb OPINIONS or TaE LEADFa JOURNALS
UPON oURRsET ToPIOs-CoNPnBD EVERY
DAY FOB THE EvRsIEe gKLEeRARH.
Ocean Telegraph Cables AID Telegraph
MOBOpOlies.

The subterfuges, false pretenses, and schem-
ino of the telegraph monOpolists, and OF those
members of Congress who are their tools, to
favor and protect existing monopelies are
astounding. We talk OF Treasury rings, rail
road rings, land other rings, but this telegraph
monopoly ring beats them all in cunning
management and in contempt for public
opinion or the public welfare. Its power, too,
seems TO be equal to its impudence, for it has
got q firm grip on the Senate of the United
States, and its chief advocate is Mr.. Sumner,
of Massachusetts. Under the pretext OF legis-
lating to facilitate ocean telegraph enterprise,
measures are insidiously introduced TO pre-
vent that, to defeat projects already insugu-
rated and ready to be carried out, and to per-
petuate the existing monopoly. That was the
whole scope and intent of the resolutions
offered some time ago declaring that no cable
should be landed on the shores OF the United
States without the consent OF Congress, and
that the Newfoundland and London Company
should have permission to land q cable; and it
is the same now under similar propositions to
authorize the London and Newfoundland and
the American and Atlantic Telegraph Com
panies to land cables. It is all trick of the
British monopelsts and those Americans who
have sold themselves to the British telegraph
line and British interests. The object is to
prevent the French cable being laid, or any
other. The monopolists pretend to facilitate
telegraphic communication when companies
with no means or chance Of doing anything
start project, but as soon as company like
the Franco-American goes earnestly to work,
manufactures cable and puts it on board
ready to be laid, these m0nopoli5ts and their
agents in Congress throw every obstacle pos
sible in the way. The conduct of the members
of Congress who are thus working against
their own country, the welfare ofthe American
people, and the progress of the age is simply
Infamous.
Why should not telegraph cables be laid
anywhere on our shores Why should not
any company, American, French, German,
Spanish, or English, land cable wherever it
chooses, from Maine to Florida Yes, one,
two, five, or twenty, if companies have the
means and enterprise. The more cables the
better. By the largest competition the people,
the press, and the Government would have
telegraphic communication cheapened, and the
dangerous monopoly which is now confined to
British territory, and which can be used in
the interests Of a ring of spectators to infu-
ence the markets, would be destroyed. 1t
would be just as reasonable for Congress to
say what foreign newspapers or books should
be landed in the United States as what tele-
graphs shall. 1t would be no more narrow
minded, illiberal, or absurd to limit emigration
or trade than to limit the transmission of ideas
or the means of communicating them. One
would think from the course of Mr.. Sumner
have gone back to the dark ages, when blind
rulers and bigoted priests shut out the light
of intelligence. If any one thinks we are too
severe in these remarks, we call attention to
the fact that when Mr.. Stockton offered an
amendment in the Senate to one of the tele
graph cable resolutions to which we referred,
for permitting any and all companies to land
their cables on the same terms as those pro
posed to be given to the London and New
foundland Company, the amendment..was Bit
terly opposed by the Sumner ring. Yet could
anything be more fair and reasonable or more
for the interests of the public than Mr.. Stock
toms broad and liberal proposition
There is not an ocean telegraph enterprise
started in this country that does not meet
with hostility from the British cable company
and its allies. Among its allies, too, we regret
to say, are Americans. The opposition is not
always open, but is made generally in disguise
and under the pretext of being favorable. The
existing Atlantic Gable Company is British
throughout, and looks only to British inte-
rests. Its object is to make the most
gigantic monopoly ever known, embracing
telegraph companies and lines to operate
from the eastern shore of America to Great
Britain, and from thence across Europe,
the Mediterranean, Egypt, or Persia, to
India and China. 1t is earnestly at work
now on this stupendous project and
with the aid, too, of some Americans 1t is
secretly hestile to the Pacific and Asiatic tele-
graph project now before Congress, and to the
East India Telegraph Company, which is en-
tirely American, and which proposes to lay
cables along the coast of China, and to connect
that empire with the western shores of this
continent by means of cables across the Paci-
tic. 1t is using its enormous capital and influ-
ence to prevent American telegraph commu-
nicatiOn to Asia by way of the Pacific, and to
turn all the advantages of this great agent of
civilization and commerce in the other direc-
tiOn, by wayaof India and across the couti-
nents of Asia and Europe.
British capitalists and statesmen are far
seeing, and they know that in the future the
telegraph will do more than fleets or treaties
In giving direction 10 and controlling the com
merce Of the world They fear the rivalry Of
America and the advantages it possesses with
regard to China and other parts of Asia from
geographical position. Hence the efforts II
centre all communication from America or
British soil, and to keep this country as mucl
isolated as possible from China and Asia gene
rally on the side of the Pacific. They will,
possible, prevent New York and San Francisc
from becoming the centres of commerce of tn
world, and will do everything to hold Londol
as the centre. Our short-sighted statesmen
or rather We should say our stupid Congress
men, are playing into the hands of the Britis
and helping them to carry out their vast pre-
iects by favoring the Atlantic cable monopoly
and by throwing cold water on the enterprise
of other foreigners and those Of our own cit
zens, In the name of common sense, and fC
the interests of our own country, let us hav
no more narrow minded action about th
ocean telegraph business, but let the liber
propoeition of Mr.. Stockton, to permit an