The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-04
Tho Postal Telegraph.

association is conducted lesltlmateiy una
safely in other respects" -.------
r@ #
The Postal Telegraph.
The Postmaster-Genera makes, in his an.
nual report, a bold movement for putting the
telegraph under Government control. he
advances very strong argument in favor oil
bis proposition. Going back to the early
history of the telegraph, when the Govern
meut, in response to the petition OF Profes-
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 it as auxiliary to the
post-offee. The Washington and Batl.
more line was built in 1914. In that
year Congress had the subject Of pur'
chasing the MORSE patent and putting it In
operation in connection with the post-ofhce
before it, In report of the Committee OF
WAYS and Means On tho subject, after en-.
largins upon the wisdom of the policy which
led the founders of our Government, "de'
"voted as they are known to have been to
"the power and importance Of the States,
"and jealousy apprehensive OF the undue
preponderance of the Federal branch
"tos epgraft on that branch power so great,
r." so growing, so penetrating and pcrVadlng
Gas that of the post-offce SYSTEM" and alud-
ing 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
Constitution, continues:
"But, though net anticipated or forescen,
these new and improved modes were as
clearly within the puryiew Of the Constltu.
ton as were the older and less perfect ones
with which our ancestors were tamllnr
+ The same principle which
Justified and demanded the transierence OF
the mail on many chief routes, from the
borse-druwn coach on common highways to
steam-impelIed vehicles on land and water,
is equally potent to warrant the calling Oh
the electromagnetic telegraph in aid OF the
post-uffice in discharge of its great function
of rapidly transmitting correspondence and
intelligence" ..-
And again:
"Shoud the arrangements into which he
1.-THE inventory may find it necessary to enter
with private individuals OF associations stlpu-
late exclusive rights in their favor it Is mani
fest how greatly Government and people
would lie ut their mercy. Having in their
hands the monopoly of such medium OF
intelligence on the important lines, they
could make such use of their advantages
over the Government and the community as
would ut length enable them to exact their
own terms as the price Of the surrender of
their exclusive right; for the truth cannot
be too often repeated or too deeply lm-
pressed in relation to this subject that the
people will never submit long TO the mis-
chiefs and discreGit of the public post being
outStripped by any private monopoly or
establishment whatever. The loss Of reve-
nue. will cooperate with the complaints and
sutferings of the people to do what were bet
ter done at once-namely, to establish the
telegraph in connection with and az branch
Of the post-office."
The committee dwell with much emphasis
upon the value of the magnetic telegraph to
the Government in time Of war and its
adaptedness to render our system of gov
"ernment easily aud certainly maintainable
cover the immense SPACE from the Atlantic
"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 Government turned
over tho line it had built to Professor MORSE
and his colleagues, and declined to purchase.
The immediate cause Of Mr. CREswELL's
movement now Is 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 Post-O Office
Department by curtailing Its business, and
asserts that this would be already the case
had the controllers Of the telegraph properly
reduced tbeir rates. He says that the Gov.
ernment has only saved itself by the liberal!
ity of its post-otlice policy, and that if it hao
the telegraph it would apply the same libe.
raj policy to that. ..-.
We make one quotation from Dir. Ores.
WELLS report, which embodies the kernel Of
the answer to the chief objections to his pro.
position. In this quotation Nr. CREswElL is
reciting arguments already advanced:
alt was commended, and with effect, that the
business Of telegraphing was substantially
the same Us letter-carrying, and that no rea.
son could be advanced in favor OF govern.
mental management OF the Que which did not
apply with equal force to the other; that the
incorporation Of the telegraph with the post
office would not at first add largely to the
number OF officials, and that the technical
training and experience which these officials
must have in order to perform their duties
at all would preclude their selection for po-
litical reasons; that the simple precauticn of
timing the receipt, transmission, and deliv-
cry OF messages would prevent their delay,
and that their secrecy could be az etectually
guarded by Government under rcstruint Of
law rs it ever has been by private parties !;
that the same motives tor efficient mall
agement exist on the part OF salaried
officials, whether Ia the employ Of the Gov
ernment or or g. widely-eXte corpora
ten; that the people could exert q much
greater influence on q Government Depart
ment, through Congress md through the