The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-01-04
The Postal Telegraph.

The Postal Telegraph.
The most interesting, if not the most
important, part Of the Report Of the Post.
master General is that which relates to the
Government assuming the control of the
telegraphs of the United States as auxilia.
ries to the Postal Service. He suggests
that the Government take possession, un-
der the act of July "a, 1866, which pro-
vides that the United States may at any
time after FIVE years from that date pur-
chase, at an appraised value, fixed BY five
competent disinterested persons, all the tele-
graph lines owned by companies which file
their written acceptance of certain priyi-
leges granted by other sections of the act.
Nearly all the important companies. in
Guiding the Western Union, have filed
such acceptance. The Postmaster General
supports his recommendation by an elabo-
rate argument in its favor. Without en-
tering fully into the discussion at this time,
1t may be said, that transfer of this
important and heretofore private enterprise
to the Government employees, prcsupposes
as careful system Of selection and appoint
ment ofsuch employees for their fitness, train.
ing and fidelity, as generally prevails in
private business establshments-and this
presupposes the full and complete execu.
ton of the Civil Service Regulations
throughout the whole of the widely exten.
ded ramifeations Of the Postal Service,
This has not yet been done, and We have
as yet seen no scheme which clearly ex-
plains its practicability 1t should not be
lost sight of that telegraphic business re-
quires peculiar aptness for the work, and
peculiar discipline in the high qualification
of absolute fidelity-neither of which
qualities can be assured in employees APP
pointed through political recommendation,
or as rewards for party services Every
kind of confidential communication, in
domestic, social and business life, is laid
before the employees of the telegraph com
panies in open letters; and notwithstand-
ing the strong expression of confidence in
the Post-ofice Report, that the people of
the United States have no more reluctance
to submitting these open though confden-
tial letters to public officers, than they
have to private companies, we respectfully
express strong doubts on that subject, I'M
der the existing method of selecting public
employees. 1t is true that the President
has inauguated most wholesome reform
in this respect; but thus far, it is only an
inauguration. We do not doubt that in
time it win be successfully consummated,
so far as he has control of the subject.
But that time has not yet arrived. Its
complete execution should precede the
operation of the telegraphic system of the
country by the employees of the Govern
ment.
One of the strongest points made by the
advocates of a Government Telegraph is
based upon the idea that telegraphic
communication is, in fact, letter, and
should, therefore, be transmitted through
and under the regulation of the Postal De-
partment and contribute to its revenues !;
that the telegraph is, in fact, a postal es-
Enlistment. Those who adopt this view
do not give sufficient force to the fact that
the postal service was designed for the
transmission Of closed and sealed letters !;
whereas the tclegraphc message is an open
letter, partaking of the nature of an oral
message, or letter sent by private special
messenger, and the postal laws have al
ways recognized the necessity for sending
such messages outside of the mails, and
have accordingly, always made exceptions
in their favor.
Another important question is discussed
in the Report, about which there is much
less difference Of opinion. At the last SEES
sion of Congress, n bill intended to carry
out the long deferred adjustment of the
Thanking privilege passed the House of
Representatives by vote of 1879 to 20.
The repeal of the privilege" as contained
in this bill, was unconditional, but it
reached the Senate very late in the season.
and stuck fast in committee room of that
body. Probably it would not have passed,
even if it had got there in better season,
for this abuse is one of the hardest to ex-
tirpate, especially on the eve of Presiden-
tial canvass, when the campaign commit
tees" of both sides expect to send whole
carloads of electionecring documents
through the mails free of postage This
last campaign increased the thanked
matter to an extent that would have yielded
the Post-office three and half millions of
dollars, if it had been paid for as other
people have to pay. The estimated cost
of ''free" matter the year preceding was
s2,543,32s. But this is only one aspect
of the evil. The tremendous quantities Of
this stuff sent through the mails, derange
and delay all other postal business The
letters of the people who pay postage and
support the Department are retarded in
their transmission by the mass of matter
sent by those Who do not pay. We there
fore concur with the Postmaster Gen
eral in hoping that the bill pending in
the Senate may pass without delay.-IHi-
adeIphia Ledger.