The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-08
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8, 1873.
The Government and the Telegraph
Business.

Du1AAVobe
There are other reasons than those oil
economy that forbid the Government
taking charge Of the telegraph business
OF the people. There is no ground to ex'
pect that It would be managed moro ef-
ficlently than in private hands, There is
reason 10 fear, on the contrary, that the
public would not be SO well served. We
all know that the Government does not,
and cannot, exact as good service from
is employees as the private employer The
reason Is that Government is an in
tangible power whose authority is diVid'
ed among descending grades Of agency,
but which traced to It's very highest
head Is even there only trust. There Is
lack oithe direct personal motive which
gives energy and vigilance to all business
managed by men for themselves. In pri'
vate employment men hold their places
BY tenor oil faithful servicei under Gov
eminent, very often by political favor, in
spite Of la2Iness or incompetency. Those
who supervise for Government are them
selves often neglected. or unfaithful.iTheir
subordinates arc not slow in such cases to
improve on the example of their superb
ors. Men supervising their own business
have the most powerful motive to be Wig
liant and to exact vigilance from their
employees. Whoever will compare the
accuracy and efficiency of the express
companies with the carclessDcss and ineih.
cheney OF the postal service, will under
stand whit we mean. However It may
be in European countries, where there is
more rigid Official responsibility and
better civil service than we have here, VIC
cannot doubt that here the telegraph bus
iness inthe hands OF Government would
be at once moro costly and less efficient
than in tho hands of private companies
The responsibility Of the telegraphic
service for errors and delays Is q thing
that seriously concerns those who use
that medium Of communication in 6usl-
ness. Very large business operations ore
now conducted by telegraph. Orders are
given and bargains consumated through
this medium every day involving millions
of dollars. An hours delay may and
sometimes does cost the sender Of a
message thousands Of dollars. AtpresCnt
the sufferer in such case has remedy.
He ean recover from tho Company in
fault according to his loss. Nosuch re-
spousibility would attach to the Govern
ment. A message sent by Government
operator might DO delayed or mutiIated
in the transmission, but the sufferer by it
would be utterly without remedy; and the
lack of responsibility would but serve TO
encourage such faults, just as the rcspon-
sibillty OF the companies is u constant,
powerful stimulus, from superintendent
down to operator, to accuracy and dis
patch. Business men, who Cntrust large
interests to messages by telegraph, will
appreciate the gravity Of proposition to
take away from the service all RESPONSE
bility to its patrons.
But beyond all such objections US cost
illness, inefflciency and responsibility OF
management, lies the more general and
graver ono that the Government has no
right to seize the telegraphic business OF
the country, and that IN acqulesenco in
such seizure would be injurious to the
interests Of society and perversive OF the
Government itself. Such thing may do
in monarchical countries where the pow
ers of the government are purely arbi-
trary and where the people have no pri-
vate rights that government is bound to
respect; but under our republican sys-
TEN this business belongs strictly 10 the
sphere of private pursuit. The theory OF
our system is that the hand OF government
Is to be laid as lightly as possible on the
people, who are to be left with all the
freedom from interference in their private
business compatible with the safety Of the
civil and political structure. There is no
claim that society is threatened with dis
organization or the Government with
overthrow because tho people are manag.
ing their own telegraphie communication.
Not6t all. But the paterral CREsswELL
wants to show us that he can doit better.
When he shows US that he can run the
Post Office as well as an express company
could, his generosity will be less i'm
pertinent than 1t Is now. There would be
Just as much reason for the Governmental
seize the railroad system because the pCo.
pie are imposed on by the railroad COM
panies. There would be just US much
reason for the Interior Department to
take charge oil the food supply. Bread is
very dear in some parts of tho Republic
while corn Is burned for fuel in others
This Is grlevous, and surely Mr.. DELANo
could manage such things better II only
the Government would buy a hall dozen
Of tho prairie States with the railroad lines
running thence to the Atlantic seabOard
Manufacturing is not carried on to the en-
tire satisfaction Of the operative classes