The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-12-20
The Capital Blpnders ofthe Presi-
''' dents Message.

The transfer of The entire ~telenraphy
of this country from private owner
ship and control to those of the Gov.
crnment-lhat is, of the Executive
would work a tremendous revolution.
In u very practical sense, the pro-
foundest confidence of business or af.
lection, avarice or ambition, would be
at the mercy of the President for the
time being. There is very little that
| he might choose to know which would
elude his curiosity. Are we prepared
to take the chances of such an enorm :
Gus augmentation of Executive pow
ers.
Our late, civil war, with its results,
has immensely extended and exalted
that power. The States are still
somewhat other and more than pro.
'%vinces, but not much. Who fails TO
realize that TO be Governor of New
York or Virginia, Pennsylvania or
Massachusetts, is Of no such conse,
quence to-day as it was seventy years
ago? How long is it since the Gov
of Illinois was pitched into and
unprecedented from every side, be-
cause he seemed to think that shoot.
ing an INNOCENT ma dead, per order,
in the streets OF The chief City of his
State was a matter as to which he
ought tuhayo been, if only for forms
sake, consulted /?
We wouiddfave the Union great,
glorious formidable-in its proper
sphere, omnipotent. We would not
concentrate all power in the hands of
its rulers, reducing the States to coun.
ties, or blotting them out altogether.
Yet the current runs strongly in that
direction, with a momentum steadily
increasing.
We have a telegruphic system sus-
ceptible of decided Improvement.
There is so much wafer in the stock
of our great company that messages
are charged too high, especially ior
considerable distances, yet the divid-
ends are meager. IF the water were
all squeezed out of the stock, and
charges reduced one.half we are con-
fident that the business would pay ten
per cent.
But the programme does not suit
The. holder operators in this fancy. |
They mean to sell it, water and all, to
the Government, and thus fob the
share of Mr.. Boutwelrs %tanaci-
ously boarded gold. Postmaster Gen
aral Creswell is thoroughly their con-
vert, and has induced the President to
give their scheme his unqualified in
we fud much fault with the tele-
graph-not without reason. Its man
ayers and operators are but men at
pest, except. when they are women.
Most If the errors we protest against
Ire those of orr own agents that is,
hose of the Associated Press. We
10 not believe the telegraph, as an in
'titution, has ever lent itself to the
uses of one party more than another.
But suppose it were sold to and run
by the Government-that is. the par
Y in power, no matter which-and,
n the morning of an exciting Presi-
election, the wires were to flash
o every poll tidings of the sudden
leath of the opposition standard-bearer
what would his supporters believe p?
What credit should they give to the
I
Of course, Mr.. Creswell tells us
hat Great Britain has bought out her
companies, and that she
5 doing their work to general accepta-
ion. But no one has better means
han he of realizing the worldwide
ontrast between her civil service and
urs, She does not allow Ter tide
Glitter carriers, &C., TO be ac-
i've politicians; we do not allow ours
lot to be. The pnrchasepf her tele,
raphs added nothing to the political
'0wer of her administration; here it
would increase it by at least fifty per
:ent. Even the Times clearly init
iates its conviction thatG Government
without civil service re-
orm is inadmissible.-New York Ht /
uns.