The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-09

lies In congress and In the power of Congress
ito regulate commerce with foreign nations
and among the several States and with the In
dian tribes" and the way of relief lies
through the election of Congress pledged to
the regulation of commerce among the States,
in the regulation Of our railways under gen.
eral law.
So with the telegraph monopolies by land
and sea. Properly they should be under gov
ernmental control and direction, and soon or
late they must be- Among the numerous ex-
press powers given in tho constitution to Con-
gress are not only the power "to regulate
commerce" and the power "to establish post
Offices and post roads, and the power "to levy
and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises,"
but the power Ito make all laws which shall
be necessary and proper for conveying into
execution the foregoing powers" The tele-
graph, we contend, properly belongs to our
postal system and to the control of the Post
Office Department But, on the broader
grounds of public rights against private mo-
nopolies. it has become necessary and proper
that the telegraph should become the property
of the public under the direction of the gov
ernment. An instrument which, by an ocean
telegraph company combined with land COM
pany, may be welded to regulate the trade
and the exchanges between Europe and the
United States, and the tone of the press and
the currents Of public opinion, is utterly out
of place in private hands Nor is there any
remedy against such coalition as this of the
Anglo-American Telegraph Company and the
Western Union but the remedy Of the as-
sumption, control and direction of their lines
by the government or governments directly in
terested. Opposition lines. under the existing
system Of private companies, may be estab-
lished, but they are almost certain to
be absorbed by the powerful coali-
ton awaiting its opportunity to buy
them or crush them. The English cable COM
pany and the Western Union have risen to the
proportions Of gigantic and grasping mo-
seeded through the Intervention of the govern
ment and we are glad to believe that General
Schenck's exposures of the systematic impo-
sition' practised upon the public by this joint
stock telegraph monopoly foreshadows deci-
sive intervention of the government.
The Federal Republic in Spain-An
Interview with Figueras.
The Constituent Cortes, by on almost
unanimous vote, has declared defnitively for
the federal Republic. This places the attitude
Of the republican party clearly before Spain
and the world, and will doubtless tend to
hasten events. The Powers Of Europe will
now be called upon to make their declarations
for or against the present government. 1t is
to be feared that the centralizing tendency of
the Powers will form one Of the greatest
obstacles to republic on the American
plan. The dons of the Quixote order will
find in it a danger to the dry skeleton of their
old national glory, and the monarchists will
take every opportunity to stimulate this hidal-
gio sentiment. The Republic, on the other
hand, will now be put upon its mettle 1t has
been allowed to complete the revolution
legally, according to its own plan II has the
great advantage Of being in possession, and if
its followers can only agree among themselves
in adopting a temperate but firm course it
can yet command its future.
In another place in these columns, this
morning, will be found an elaborate report of
on interview which one of our correspondents
in the Spanish capital has had with Seiior
Figueras, President, until within the last two
days, of the Spanish Republic. We are pleased
to be able to present the views of SO prominent
and able man as Figueras before the
Tl,o 1cto \ - Al.
Spanish Republic, as will be seen from our
reported interview, is an ardent admirer of
the republican institutions of the United
States. His hopes Of the final success of the
Republic in Spain are based upon our success
and upon the sympathy and succor which, he
feels satisfied, republican America must yet
extend to her elder, yet in another sense,
younger, sister in the Old World. Figueras
recognizes the immense power and widely
extended influence Of the HERALD. His treat
ment Of our correspondent was courteous in
the extreme; and he was all the more willing
to express to him his opinions because, as he
said, talking to a HERALD representative was
the same as talking to several millions of
American citizens"
Read in the light Of present events-of
events which have taken place since the inter-
view-the views of the ex-Presdent will be
found to be invaluable. Of the ultimate sue
cess of the Republic in Spain Figueras has no
doubt. 1t was not his opinion, however, SO
far as our correspondent could gather from
his remarks, that the present Republic would
he an assured success The late elections,
although apparently favorable to the Republic,
were really less victory than they seemed,
and for the simple reason that the conserva-
tives stood aloof He frankly admitted that
the best statesmen in Spain were anti-repub-
lican. The leading men of the Republic are
strangers to Office and to all the routine duties