New-York tribune., 1873-01-18

d a, "u he puSlc against their rapacity and
extortion There should be allowed e nn Education or
the diffnsion of intelligence. Whatever nneS rn,"otes
dear or d inres the moral and intellectual health
Of the body polite knowledge is power We eny anu are
,e and poyerty The public schools are mahtne @ mn ~
the expense OF the taxpayers adnca,ion left 10
dren TO send 10 school or not me,S n, cbiidTen woud
nriyate enterprise, the rich men hy,
nOnOpO1e it. So ,d 6he se eSpres it would
saon become luxury OF the nch ana ouuen M esv T T
eIndSd from t enjoyment The telegraph is quicker
method of sending the malis-a hSthou Wish ann -,
M hates tie ates @nd All men kin It the all
human Inventions and wlJ ii ban % ,Sonrht The light
est OF tolls should be charged for Its abos for IL is one
of tba rest educational srumenalites Of the nation
and world It's services should be nearly free TO the
whole people possible The greatest OF all Govern
struetng the vision and hearing OF the natural body
cheap the telegraph could be operated Dy Tue uo'
! ernment cannot he known until tried.
The new duplex system" OF Transmission On a wire
both ways at the same time and otner remarkapIe LUZ
messages without loss at rates which would surprise te
country, and speedily multiply the business mal'ou. M %
II fixing the tolls at the outset they would pe pui
at one cent per word, for all distances IN the ued u
States, with liberal discount Tor the pressSo di
that the daily papers could afford 10 take al Tue i,
patches their space would accommodate by pun i
this policy benefits would be conferred on onby tie
From these observations you perceive that hold tne
telegraph properly belongs to the anu and nur
systems of the country and that its mission anu p
pose are the diffusion Of thoughts ideas ana tbat
1on among the people instanIaneousn to monopo.
! k1e it for the purpose of money-nakng and stock
gambling Instead Of being eoIIPoGaadI and managed for
Should be owned by the whole people anu o as
their greatest benefit, and its use n'ue rei"e' Us
ehSap az % e Of t6e possible abuses which the Govern
ment might practice 70 promote PaI, d make use
| of private information passing on the wires Woulu %
quickly removed from power Inc peope p az h ~ 10 tb
ienay now i'm that regard, than they would Dc III tne
wires were an adjunct of the Post-Ohce Department.
hear of no complaints against the BRITISH IoVerhueh'
Yon ask me If have reflected carefully upon the con
troll which Government would nave % over 1 he RSsS
it has nothing apprehend The press OF an agencies
best able to take care OF ise any d rosed o
about il nstanter The opposition potlclans would de-
sire no better issue Nun Weu ~ M re1an In oce
n found dealing harshly or unfairly with the press!
TonSTessruen would enact the very cheapest possible
res Ia ne press in order 20 have the proceedings OF
| Congress fully reported Ihe lnIuence OF the otate
Legislatures would be IN the same direction for the same
You speak of the increase of PATRONAGE the telegraph
would give the Government which you deem danger
GUS do not partake of these fears. service which
YOU admit requires special education and the greatest
of skill" could hardly be connected with patronage:
The present force operators and experts would Of
necessity be taken into the postal telegraph service
with yourself, perhaps, DrectOrln-Chef. Changes
could only be made for cause and appointments upon
qualification Party politics would cut but an insignf
cant figure IN the matter N0vlces could not DC placed
in charge Instruments wires What took place in
England would happen here: The clvll service system
is bound to be established III TINS country inc popar
demand is in that direction, and VIII never rest satsed
until merit and qualifications are the test oil nneSs lor
administrative office and not partisan Dulnmlhs ana
ballot box stuiing
have written thus freely upon your invitation and
Il Is the first time have Ventured 10 put any Ougns
the subject upon paper Ii Is not strange that We
should come 10 adlameTlcaly opPSsi'o b %r nr
yet each be perfectly sincere III ms VIEWS Wneh our
respective standpO Of observation are considered
You remember how the Shareholders and aDOiIlOnlsts
differed in their estimate OF the pecuhar ihsututlon
but you will avoid their mistake ana not quarrel
pleasure to canvass of the question at issue
with you some evening over fragrant Havana much
possible that a free exchange OF views would result in
radical change OF my notions on the subject, and IN
conversion tO your views. very truly yours, >,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, WEsTERN UNIoS}
TELEGRAPH COMPANY, NEw-YoRK, Dec 30 1877.
Hon. JOSEPH MEDnL, Chicago, H. -
Ny DEAR SIR: Your communication OF Dec. II, re-
plying 70 mine of Nov. 6, reached me last week. ,
In IN the main of the fairest as II is the abest OF
the statements made in favor OF the assumption ana
come under my notice complete and httlng reply TO
all your points cannot be made within the Limited time
am now able TO devote 10 1t, ana shal, therefore,
content myself for the present with the CONSIDERATION
only OF those which deem most important. 49,
the statement which had the honor to make on this
subject recently before the Committee on Appropriations
oarefy S prepared paper by the Hon David A. Wells will
be printed few days, when copies VIII DO sent You
They will contain-and especially the atter-so full and
comprehensive statement OF facts the oper
alton Of the telegraph IN Europe aHa the GJ 1Se Sa
unnecessary for ne TO 80 over Ia thIs ieer the
Your answer to my inquiry whether the Government
should take the railways as well as the telegraph
dence that behind the question relating to the telegraph
there is fundamental difference in our views concern
ing the objects for which our Government was esab-
shed ana the best modes OF accomplishing them Those
purposes set forth in the preamble 70 tne o0stu
unop establish Justice insure domestic tranquility
provide for the common DEFENSE promote the general
welfare and secure the blessings OF nDer " OURSELVES
and our pOserity."
YoH seem to think that in order to accomplish these,
the Federal Government Is 10 become vast cOmnercal
enterprise; that one ofs proper unctons 10 Proyde
the people with whatever deemed best for their well
fare at the public expense provided larger supply can
be furnished at less cost per cdpitd than would
result If such supply depended upon private capital
one, but 1t differs widely from lnne nave
supposed that the blessings of liberty were to be Sc
cured and the general welfare promoted in the first
instance by the protection OF every czen IN person ana
ms protection the people collectively have guaranteed
70 each Individual Your scheme OF government APP
pears TO be q grand Fourier phaanxa sort of Oneida
| community on immense scae-whose members are
10 receivenot the result OF their separate sk ana
abor-but are to be benefciares in pro rata dstri
button of profits of the joint operations is
this plan that the successes OF the American people
ernments of the Old World have extending with
one hand their Elusive benefits, with the other they
have been heaping up burdens upon the people n ueot
and taxation fast rpening into universal discomfort
Meanwhile the people OF the United States nave abolished
the peculiar institution" of which you speak, crushed
the rebellion which slavery invoked and in their private
capacity, and almost wholly with private capital, have
lIdirOned continent with railways ana carried the
telegraph 10 the extremes OF civilization Yet III view
Of these important facts, you appeal 70 the precedens
assume that they can he followed here without being
accompanied by the evils which nave invariably attended
/ them elsewhere. .
| You would have the Government provide the tele-
graph before railways, apparently not because O any
natural order OF precedence because 1t get into
the smaller cost In the one case than In the
otner You say; "The telegraph properly belongs TO
the educational and postal systems of the country and
that It's mission and purposes are the dl1uslon OF
thoughts ideas and Information among the people in
| simultaneously" ,m
do not mean 10 deny that the instantaneous dfu-
sion OF thoughts ideas and Information among the peo
pie is result greatly TO be desired IL has not before
occurred me- however that this one OF the functions
of our Government But II IL be, are there not other
| provisions TO be made trstf
The real which rests the claim that the ele
nI..n l.ff l.Anur