The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-10-09

severest penalties are imposed for delay
ing dispatch or revealing its contents
If you are in any city of Great Britain
and want to communicate with any per-
SON in any town in England, Scotland or
Ireland, you have but to write your dis
patch, place stamp upon it, enclose it in
an envelope, step to the street corner,
drop 1t into mail box, and you may feel
perfectly certain that in from one to fif-
teen minutes it will be passing over the
wires and an answer returned within one
hour. The British Post Office invites the
public to complain when they are not
well served, the object being to find out
all 1mperfections and to correct them.
The result is that complaints of all kinds
do not reach one in one thousand In the
report of the British Post Office pertain
ing to telegraphs for the week ending
August 9th, there were 68 complaints Of
delay in transmission, SO of non-de,ivery
SO of inaccuracy, AZ of over charge nd of
in sending 369, 451 dispatches. Though
the complaints are so very trifing in num-
Der, yet on an investigation Of those it
was found that in many cases the govern
ment was not at fault Such is the sys-
tenn that desire to see popularized here.
GENERALIZATION.
The hue and cry is raised that to do this
will be creating new army of Office hold
ers and taking great step towards cen
tralization. Capitalization is the last
thing desire to see in this free and en-
Hghtened government, and the last / ex-
pect to see to any alarming or dangerous
extent. But l see the same reasons for
the government sending telegraph de-
spatches as for sending letters. There is
not over one post Office in Wisconsin that
rynr11d
were the telegraph attached to it, unless it
were some boys to deliver dispatches; so
that there would be a saving of the vast
army OF telegraphic operators now en-
ployed by private companies, as well as
rent, fuel and lights of those companies;
and the reason why the government
can do the work cheaper than private
companies is apparent In Europe, es-
pecially on the Continent, a large number
of young ladies are employed as operat-
ors, and very expert ones they make; and
l confess to being so much CT a woman's
rights man as to be willing to see every
avenue of employment thrown open to
them, and where they can perform given
service as well or better than men, fair
play requires that they should have an
even chance. Upon this matter of employ
ments, am constrained to say that soci-
ETY. heretofore has not been entirely Just to
woman. have thus dwelt at length on
this telegraph question, because / regard
it, SO far as the business and social rela-
lions of the country are concerned, as
second only in importance to the trans
portation question, and because / can see
perfect solution of it, if the people so
will.
THE RAILWAY QUESTION.
But when we come to the railway ques-
ton confess to you, that it is full of diff
ficulties, and the more the question is
studied, the more and greater those diff
culties will appear. That the people
have absolute control of the railroads
in this state, under our constitution, I
have never doubted, and the supreme
court of the United States has recently
so decided. Seven years ago, and while
l was private citizen, 1 prepared and
submitted to the legislature, pro rata
tariff bill which passed the assembly by
avote of more than four to one, but which
was defeated in, the senate because they
said they had not time to properly con-
slider it. I hope this fall you will send
members to both branches of the legisla-
ture who will take time to consider so
important matter as that, and that you
will receive no such excuse. The state of
Illinois is working out this problem at
develop something that we can safely
follow. 1t is supposed by some that the
true remedy is competition and the build
ing of more railroads; but experience
shows this to be an error, and that where
combination or consolidation is possible,
there will be no such thing as long con-
tinued competition. More than one road
near the same line, instead of cheapening
transportation absolutely increases it, as
the public have to support two lines
instead of one, when one could do all the
business. I do not look with favor either
upon the state or general government
entering upon system of railway man.
agement or ownership unless as a last
resort. Could such system be honestly
managed and not become an intolerable
source of corruption, it might be looked
to as remedy for existing evils. If a
double track freight railway could be
constructed honestly and cheaply between
the Mississippi and Lake Michigan, and
thence to the seaboard, and operated in
the interest of the people, it would be a
great blessing to them, and one such road
would have healthy influence over all
others.
have observed recently statement
made by Senator Morton of Indiana, to
the effect that party of capitalists from
Holland stood ready to build double
track railroad from the Mississippi to the
seaboard, without any aid from Govern
ment, if Congress would only give them
the necessary charter. If there be any
such parties, by all means let them build
such road. 1 have no doubt about the
authority of Congress in this matter, nor
have l any doubt that Senator Morton
honestly thinks there are such parties as he
names, ready and anxious to put their
money in such an enterprise. But I must
be pardoned for a little incredulity. l
have seen so many confidence men, birds
of i'll omen, lowering around Congress
with their grand schemes, promising great
public benefits, which failed in the per-
Torrance, that l am suspicious of the
whole race of them, and if Gov. Morton's
honest and reliable Dutchmen do not turn
out to be a set of cute Yankees, without
either character or money, and whose OBJ
ject in obtaining a charter from Congress
is to have something to trade on hereafter,
I shall be happily disappointed.
SUBJECT TO LEGISLATIVE CONTROL.
Because I have always maintained that
railways in this State were public corpor-