The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-01-06

The Duty OF Congress.
The press In the United States Ia the guar
dian Of the liberties Of tho people. II Is the
medium through which we indicate our wishes
to those whom wo elect 10 shape our laws. II
is the motive power OF civilization. Without
| II progress would stand siill and society would
take retrograde step. II therefore becomes
important that every citizen should consider
II he desires 10 have this great focus Of his lib
critics protected, or II he prefers 10 submit Il
TO the domination OF any great monopoly which
may wish W dictate 10 A. To have such .
press as 10 demanded by this period there
must be the most elaborate. perfect and cheap
communication with every point IN our ccun-
try, a. well as with foreign nations In pro-
portion TO these advantages win arise those
benefits which are reflected by the press upon
the people. In fact, ~ goes the prcss 10 goes
the nation In lis rcpablicAnism. Therefore
all that which Is directly connected with its
prosperity becomes national Instead % this.
however, we see gigantic monopoly rise mp
and attempt 10 dictate 10 this nasioasl guar
dian. The telegraph monopolisss. already
overcharging, are depicting the people Of mii-
lions Of dollars annually. In addition they
now terminate their contract with the journals
Of this city by the following notice -
EXECUTIVE cfrcs.
WESTERN UNoS rrLKgakrH COMPANY
Ngw yoKx, August "a lseA.
prOprietcrs o. the View Sork xrprsss pslss'
Stone HALE HAIIock, propnetoFs ~ the Aew
proprietor Of the Nrw YosK nFaALp; naSrnx
MARBLE, proprietor Of the world; MosEs = BzAcH,
proprietor ofthe New York sun; HKxny . RAW
and the TRlEuSE ASSOCIATION pro3fletors of the
New York tribune, constituting together the asso-
citation known as the New YORK Associated Press
GENTLEMES--you win please take notire that IN
pursuance OF the sixth section Of the agreement
made and entered into between you and the Amerl
can Telegraph Company, bearing date December Is.
1855. the American Telegraph Company, party OF the
first part to said agreement and the Western Union
said party OF the rst part elect ana desire 20 terini
nate said contract at the expiration OF the present
current cur year q as CO q ssd
L. 8 SANFORD, President
Attest-O. II. PALMER Secretary.
~ NV WILLIAM ORION. PRESIDENT
Attest-O. II. PALMER, Secretary.
This means heavier charges for telegraphic
matter in the future and consequent cur
failing Of the amount OF news, which II Ii
thus proven the monopolists will deal out to
the people only as they may feel disposed. In
this way the telegraph holds much the same
power over information that the government
holds over importations, and may at win i'm
pose a prohibitive tax. Information being, as
we humbly believe, purely national COM
modify, we cannot understand why it should
not be governed by the people, through our
Congress, for the national good.
The great dinner lately given at Delmonico's
was apparently for the promotion Of existing
telegraphic interests. There are not wanting
malicious people who say that the heavy ex-
penses were paid from the surplus cash re-
naming on hand after the declaration of enor-
nous telegraph company dividends. Such
efforts at bunting the senses by stufing
stomachs can have no influence on the mass
of the people, who are determined to put an
end to the present monopoly, either by nation
alizing the existing telegraph system or by con-
structing q new and cheaper one. That this
is the national determination is best seen by
an examination of the newspapers throughout
the country. These, with very rare excep-
tions, are strong in the desire to destroy the
present monopoly and introduce system
which shall appertain to the nation itself. 1t
is almost the unanimous opinion that the tele-
graphic lines should be managed by the Post
Office Department. The fact that this depart
ment now shows large annual deficit is be-
cause the public are making great use of tele-
graphic lines for all correspondence, and conse-
quently there is not mail matter sufficient to
pay for transportation and administration.
If Congress is alive to one Of the greatest
of our national necessities it will no longer
hesitate to grapple with this telegraphic
monopoly and reorganize the whole system Of
sent postal department should be remodelled
and called the Post and Telegraph Depart
ment The cost Of correspondence by either
method should then be reduced to the mini
mum consistent with the expenditures for adj
ministration. Instead of enormous dividends,
drawn, as at present, from every individual
in the country, we should have the liberty Of
transacting our business without paying set
of monopolists for the privilege. This viii
be step for the general good step,
too, in the direction Of civilization. II is for
this we press II upon Congress for immediate
action.
Railroad Communication with Washington.
I.usc- at xLrovrvx = 900 cr hale m ,~.ylY;cc