The New York herald., 1869-03-20

the fever in BROOKLYN Has this careful
odicer different views Of the law for different
personal
Ocean Telegraph Casiss and Telegraph
Meoopellss.
The subterfuges, false pretences and schem-
Ing Of the telegraph monopolists and of those
members of Congress who are their tools to
favor and protect existing monopoliss ere
astounding. We talk Of Treasury rings, rail-
road rings and other rings, but this tele-
graph monopoly ring beats them all in cum
ming management and in contempt for public
opinion or the public welfare. It's power, too,
seems to be equal to Its impudence; for it
has got firm grip ON the Senate Of the
United States, and its chief advocate is Mr..
Sumner, Of Massachusetts,. Under the pretext
Of legislating to facilitate ocean telegraph
enterprise measures are insidiously introduced
to prevent that, to defeat projects already
inaugurated and ready to be carried out, and
to perpetuate the existing monopoly. That
was the whole scope and intent of the reso-
lutions 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 per-
mission to land q cable; and 1t 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 a trick Of the
British monopolists 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 monopolists and their
agents in Congress throw every obstacle pos
sible in the way. The conduct Of the men,
bers of Congress who are thus working
against their own country, the welfare Of the
American people and the progress Of the age
ID Blmply 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 ring Of spectators to
influence 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 II 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
and those who are acting with him that we
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
tons 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 Cable Company is British
throughout, and looks only to British interests.
nopoly ever known, embracing telegraph COM
panies and lines to operate from the eastern
shores Of America to Great Britain, and from
thence across Europe, the Mediterranean, Egypt
or Persia, to India and China. It is earnestly at
work now on this stupendous project and
with the aid, too, Of some Americans. It is
secretly hostile 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 Con-
tinent by means Of cables across the Pacific.
1t is using Its enormous capital and influence
to prevent American telegraph communication
to Asia by way Of the Pacific, and to turn all
the advantages Of this great agent Of civiliza-
xsS ~ EIcnarno In fho okha. I,~ockgoc L.