The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-11

OF sag Harbor, and Samuel Ford, OF Washington
are at the Aston House.
Orr Railroads and Te!egrnphs and the Gov
ernmcnt-The Next Grent Question.
General Butler, we think, has made a safe
prediction in reference to the railroads and
telegraphs of the United States We refer to
his remarks on the subject in the debate in the
House Of Representatives the other day on the
Census bill-to wit, that she wanted to know
the statistics Of railroad transportation, of the
express business and Of the telegraph business,
because he looked forward to the time within
the next ten years when the country would
have to grapple with those great interests and
take control Of them"
Upon this point we have not the shadow Of
o doubt. The country will shave to grapple
with those great interests and take control of
them" Southern reconstruction and the negro
question in all its phases are substantially set
tied. The woman's rights agitation, from
present appearances, will be limited to our
fanatical moral and social reformers of the
New England school for many years to come.
The great money question, in all its divisions
of debt, bonds, banks, taxation, currency,
&C., is the great question Of the day, upon
which, however, we apprehend the line Of
discussion and Congressional action till next
winter has been marked out in the Presidents
Message. We are also of the opinion that
under the practical policy laid down by the
President there will be no violent perturba-
tons in our financial system or business affairs
under Grants administration but that, with
his careful and judcious guidance, the govern
ment and the country will work their way
steadily and without any serious disturbance
through the wilderness of Arabia and around
the southern end Of the Dead Sea to the Pro-
| missed Land Of restoration of specie paym ents
| and the removal of our heavy burden of taxes
| and debt The Israeites had all their fighting
to do after their escape from the slavery of
Egypt; we had to do our fighting in making
our escape, and in the passage of the Red Sea
of our great rebellion; and even now the ad-
vanced guard of the congregation have entered
the new inheritance Of ''equal rights, rich in
cotton, corn, petroleum, coal, iron, gold and
silver, and Glowing with milk and honey"
With this inspiring and glorious prospect on
the money question, and having substantially
settled the reconstruction question and the
negro question, and regarding the womans
rights question as only a convenient tub to
the whale of New England fanaticsm for the
present, what will be the next great question
awakening general political agitation? Some
/ 1o fha ~ x,hi oh
is looming up between capital and labor-that
the trades unions of the country are drifting to
general alliance as political party, and that,
having the votes, they have only to combine in
order to achieve greater political revolution
in behalf of the rights of labor than was ever
dreamed of by the most radical of modern re-
formers. But as the formation Of such party
is necessarily work of time, its consideration
may be dismissed for the present, in view of
the more rapidly approaching and nearer
| issues before us. Conspicuous among these is
| the issue at hand between the railway and
telegraph corporations on the one side, and
the people on the other side.
|. The Camden and Amboy Railroad monopoly
tells an instructive story for New Jersey; the
Baltimore and Ohio monopoly tells a similar
story for Maryland and the national capital,
under which even the Congress Of the United
! States for generation or two has been pay
! ing provincial tribute to the Caesar of
railway corporation. The State of Illinois,
under special railway grant Of the public
lands from Congress, has been put under the
| government of the s'Illinois Central" which
can say to the Legislature, "Thus far shalt
thou 60 and no farther" and be obeyed. Here
in New York patient though sorely per-
picked people are anxiously awaiting the
upshot of the erie war;" but with some
expectations that it will end in the complete
occupation Of the State by Cornelius Wander
bilt or his successor in office. And 30 we
have, or arc promised, in every State q rail
way monopoly which may establish its own
rules and regulations by buying up or tying
up courts, Legislatures and political parties.
So in the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany we have the nucleus upon which may be
established, and which will be unless arrested
by Congress, monopoly which over the news
paper press OF both parties may WELD the
balance Of power in our political elections,
and over the money market, while enriching
itself and extending its power in extortionate
tribute from the press, the government and
the people. We have repeatedly shown the
admirable workings Of the telegraph 10 Europe
under government control, in the responsible
and reliable system, and in the cheap rates for
the transmission Of dispatches thus estab-
lished. We have shown that the telegraph
properly belongs to the sphere of the Post