The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-08

France" and Russia. Those governments
have long been in thenewspaper business;
and it must be said the journals there are
conducted in a way much less objection
able to the rulers Of the country than
they are hero. Under the Gov
eminent charge, all the unseemlY
differences of opinion among the
newspapers about great and BEN
evolent public measures'like that VIC arc
discussing would be harmonized. The
Government might make great deal Of
money, too, out of the metropolitan jour
nails, which are reported to be exceed
iugly profitable, The editing of tho five
or six thousand papers would make
places for q considerable army Of illus
trlous persons who have done the party
some service, but who are out in the cold
now because there are not places enough
to 20 round. There might be central
editor at Washington, to write the politi.
cal editorials which could be sent out 30
as to appear in all the journals simulta'
neously; and the news could be supplied
by Mr.. CREsswELL over the postal tele-
graph with such omissions and emenda'
lions as would make it harmouiZe with
the opinions Of the press.
Seriously, schemes like these would be
more prcpostcrous only in degree, not
in kind, than the one before Congress.
The right and reason Of them are the
same oil round. It's to these dangerous
absurdltics that Government telegraph
points the way.
The enlargement oil patronage that
would follow placing the telegraphic
force OF the country under Government
appointment Is an insuperable objection
to this scheme in itself, in the minds ofall
who realize the evils that have already
grown out of the steady extension Of the
Executive patronage. Weneed return
to the sevcrest simplicity in the Govern
ment consistent with an efficient dis.
charge of its legitimate functions; and
every scheme for needless enlargement
of the machinery oughtto be resisted.
There Is one feature Of this scheme
that cannot lail to arrest attention. OF
course such a control Of the press as we
have alluded 10 would be an act Of out
rageous despolism. A iettered press is
characteristic Of despOtic countries, as
liberty Of the press is the glory Of ours.
But government espionage Of the peo'
pies communications, such as exists
wherever the telegraph is in the hands of
government, is long stride towards des.
potic rule. II the government takes any
Of the telegraph lines, it must take them
all. No private competition il permitted
would be attempted. all the confden'
tial business of the people which now
goes over the wires, and which is now
protected by the responsibility Of the
companies and by the lack Of any motive
on their part to use 1t, would pass under
the scrutiny of Government agents, all
holding their places by favor Of central
authority at Washington, bound to obey
It and likely to feel an interest in the pro.
motion Of its purposes. 1t would be just
as If oil the postmasters in the country
and their clerks were at liberty to open
our letters and make such use Of the con.
tents US they might be directed to by
their superiorS, except that by means Of
telegraphic facilities all important pri-
vate communications in every part Of the
country could be laid daily before the
central authority at Washington. Nor
would there be my remedy. 1t need not
be said that this is on unreasonable fear.
Human nature in all ages and in all coun'
tries averages about the same. We need
not suppose that our own country, time
and people arc an exception to natural
laws. Men will abuse power wherever it
il given them, and the greater the temp
tation tho greater will be tho growth Of
abuse. Who does not know that in times
OF great political excitement, no matter
what party was in power or what admin
istration in Office, such IN espionage as q
Government telegraph affords would be
used by the officials in control to promote
the interestO OF their party? AS one
temptation leads to another and one abuse
to worse, the time might come when it
would be used Tor more dangerous pur-
poses. The power to stop the channels of
telegrRphic communication in SO large q
country Gs this would be most danger
Gus one, il ever bad and ambitious men
got into power and found there was but
one way TO retain it. No fears OF this
kind are unreasonable SO long as their
realization is possible, We are to reflect
that the party and men now IN control
may not, certainly will not, always be in
tho ascendency, that extraordinary pow
ers assumed by the Government will
cever be willingly given up but will be
welded long after those who seized them
have been removed by successors who
may be less scrupulous in their use. Tho
only safety lies in u firm resistance 10 the