The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-09
Tn. Proposed Postal Telegraph.

perbans the feature OF President Grants
recent message which possesses the largest
degree Of interest for the people at large 10
the recommendation that The Federal GoV.
ernmont should assume exclusive controi Oh
the telegraph, and manage 1t as par' VI
the postal system. The Postmaster'aene'
raj in his report, discusses the scheme more
elaborately, and makes a very strong argu-
mept In it's favor. Going back to the early
history Of the telegraph, when the Govern
ment. In response to the petition OF PROBES
sor Morse, built the line from Baltimore to
Washington, Mr.. cresWell shows that the
Idea OF taking the telegraph entirely under
government control met with favor, and he
inclines to the opinion that but for the slow
belief in the utility OF the system, even with
its practical operations before the country,
Congress would have made it government
property and employed 1t as auxiliary to the
postoface. The Washington and Balti-
mora llns was built In 1874. In that
year Congress had the subject OF pur-
chasing the Morse patent and putting 1t In
eperation In connection with the postofdce
before it. A report OF the Committee OF
WAYS and Means on the subject, after en-
larglng upon the wisdom OF the policy
which led the founders Of our Government,
.deyoted as they are known to have been
..to the power and importance OF the States,
..and jealousy apprehshslve o. the undue
~s.preponderance OF the Federal branch" TO
"engrafr on that branch q power 30 great,
$50 growing, so penetrating and pervadlng
..as that OF the postofice system III
a,ludipg to the extension OF that power by
the adoption OF all the more rapid and I'M
proved methods OF transmission which had
been introduced since the adoption OF the
Consultation, continues:
"But, though not anticipated or foreseen,
tbese new and improved modes were as clear
~ within the purview Of the constitution as
were the older and less perfect ones Win
which our ancestors were familiar. =
The same principle which justified and de-
handed the transfereuce Of the mall, on many
chief routes, from the horse draw coach on
common highways to the steam.lmpelled We
hIcles on land and water, Is equaiy Posent "
warrant the calling OF the electromagnetic
telegraph In aid Of Inc postoflce IN discharge
of its great function OF rapidly transmitting
correspondence and intelligence"
And again:
s.should the arrangements into which ne
fthe inventory may find It necessary 10 enter
with priyate individuals or associations, stlpu-
late exclusive rights In their favor, 1t 10 mani
feat how greatly government and people
wonld lie at their mercy. Having In their
hands the monopoly OF such q medium Of IN.
telIieence on the important lines, they could
make such use of their aavantages over 1ne
length enable them to exact their " terms
as the price Of the surrender or their exclu-
siye right: for the truth cannot be too often
repeated or too deeply Impressed IN relation
to this subject, that the people WILL never SUD
mil long " The mischiefs and dlscredlt OF tne
MONOPOLY or establishment whatever. The
loss Of revenue will cooperate with the com-
plants and suflerings OF Lhe people to DO what
were better done at ~onoe-namely, 10 estaohsn
the telegraph In connection with and al q
branch Of the postoface."
The committee dwelt with much emphasis
upon the value Of the magnetic telegraph to
the Government In time Of war, and its
.adsptedness 10 render our system OF Gov
''ernment easily and certainly maintainable
.tover the immense space from the Atlantic
s.to the Pacific which our territory covers"
But the telegraph did not make itself felt
with that emphasis to which Its wonderful
capacity entitled it, and the Government
turned over the line it had built to Professor
Morse and his colleagues, and declined to
purchase.
Tho immediate cause Of Mr.. Creswelrs
movement now is a disagreement between
him and the telegraph companies as to the
terms on which the Government shall use
the telegraph. Urging that as one reason
why the Government should own the tele-
graph, he proceeds to state many others.
He apprehends that In time the telegraph
will seriously interfere with the Postoface
Department by curtaillug business, and as
serts that this would be already the case,
had the comptrollers OF the telegraph pro-
perly reduced their rates. He says that the
Government has only saved itself by the
nberality of It's postoflce policy, and that II
it had the telegraph 1t would apply the same
liberal policy to that. We make one quota
ton from Mr.. Creswelrs report, which en-
bodies the kernel OF the snswer to the chief
objections to his proposed proposition. In
this quotation Mr.. Creswell is reciting argu-
ments already advanced:
sit was commended, and with effect, that the
business of ~telegraphlng was substantially
the came as letter. carrying, and that no res.
son could. be advanced In favor of govern
| mental management of the one which did not
| apply With equal force to the other; that the
/ INCORPORATION of the telegraph with the poet
Office would not at first add largely to the
number oil. officials, and that the technical
training and experience which these officials
must nave In order to perform their duties
at all would preclude their selection for po-
lltical reasons; that the simple preoautlon Of
timing the receipt, transmission and deliV-
cry Of messages would prevent their delay,
and that their secrecy could be as efectually
guarded By government under restraint OF
law as 1t ever has been by. private parties;
that the tame motives e1lstedfor efficient
management on the part Of salaried officials,
whether In the employ OF the Government or
of q widely-extended corporations; that the
| people could exert q much greater Influence
on q government department., through Con-