New-York tribune., 1869-01-14
TELEGRApHING BY GOTERNMENE

We use the Telegraph very extensively and
pay it "a good deal of money: so that there
are few whose personal advantage from cheap
ening its use would be greater than our own /;
vet we do not regard with favor any of the
bills looking to the establishment of a Govern
ment Telegraph. Here are some Of our rea-
sons
|. The prevalent tendency in our day is to-
ward a further restriction rather than an en-
largement of the sphere of Government. We
have for instance) good many Public Mar
kets in this City, which are, for the most part,
public nusances Had the City left this whole
business of purveying free to private enter
pnse only overseeing it in the interest Of
public health, few can doubt that our supply of
food would have been better and cheaper than
it is. The same is the case with many other
attempts to serve or save the citizen through
the agency Of Government. Most certainly, we
would not limit the sphere of Government to
the mere prevention of breaking heads and
picking pockets; but We should ponder long
before enlarging it.
II. A Government Telegraph is usually pro-
posed as an adjunct of the Post-Onice. Our
Government already claims and cnforccs a
monopoly of the business of carrying letters,
charges its own prices, collects some Slj,00OOOO
a year from the people for lettcr-carrying, and
then loses some $G,OOOOOO a year by the bust
ness. We submit that it should show better
baance-sheet on this account before extending
its sphere of operations.
III. We never owned any telegraph stock,
and expect to own none; ; we are daily and
heavy customer to telegraphs and expect to
live and die such. We presume that Govern
ment Telegraph would somewhat cheaper the
cost of messages but the money invested in
establishing it would never be returned to the
Treasury. The clamor for a reduction OF
charges Gas now with letters would steadily
overbear any hope of profit. Can it be right,
we ask to tax the whole people for the benefit
of that small minority who send messages by
Telegraph Would 1T not be better to start
Government establishments for potato growing
on a gigantic scale, so as to supply the poor
cheaply with wholesome and nourishing food
Where one wants cheap messages, many would
be benefited by having a sure and ample sup
ply of cheap potatoes.
". Government. in this and other free conn
tries, is and must be largely an affair of party.
The Government of this country has been, is,
and must be, to great extent, the rule of tue
dominant party. Would it be well to have the
Telegraph under the absolute control Of either
party in an excited Presidential election?
Could the outs safely use it Could the peo-
pie implicitly trust it? Remember how the
mails were rihed under Jackson, with the
tacit approval of Postmaster General Kendall,
on the assumption thai it was right to take
and burn Abolition documents if circulated in
Slave States. Consider Gen. Jacksons and
Gov. Marcy's official recommendations that the
circulation of such documents be prohibited by
law. We should not like TO have the Tele-
graph controlled, throughout the ensuing Pre-
sidential canvasses, by our political adversaries,
nor yet by our political friends.
V. The Government is heavily in debt, and
its Finances are not in good condition ; yet it
is bored and impoltuned for subsidies on this
side and on that-all Of them on the pretense