Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-12-10
POSTAL TELEGRAPHs AND BANK.
ING.

POSTAL TELEGRAPHs AND BANK
ING.
The questions of postal telegraphy
md postal banking are causing much
among journalists as well
Is Government officials. There are
many objections to these projects, not
The least Of which Is the tendency to
all power In the hands OF
the Administration. The old princi-
Pile that Government should not inter-
tere with any business within the
reach Of private capital, or by which
Il will come into competition with prl-
vats industry may. we think, be we'll
applied to these projects. Having no
doubt Of the power Of Congress to leg
islate upon and regulate railroad fares,
freights, telegraphic charges. or to
control within reasonable limits any
business of Its subjects which Is partly
of a public nature, we think that all
propositions which look toward the
aggregation or Capitalization Of power
In It's hands, such as the propositions to
buy up and control u railroads; to
buy and control u telegraphlc COM
m~unications with tie espionage which
would necessarily be had thereon). or
by establishing banks to come into
competition with a large business In
tsrest of the country, are essentially
faulty. 10 II mind 1t may as we'll
DO assumed by the Government that
because shoes OF chairs are dear; be-
cause the manufacture OF these two
commodities Is in the hands Of COM
bination Of capital, therefore 1t Is the
province. nay, duty Of the Govern
ment, to establish shoe and chair man.
ufactories. Quicksilver Is monopol-
lied. WIN any II argue that be-
cause such Is the case, 1t Is incumbent
on the Government to buy up all
quicksilver mines and work them for
the benefit Of the people? The same
reasoning will apply. to all classes Of
business not strictly governmental. 1t
Is an old principle Of English common
law that whenever a monopoly becomes
hurtful to the mass Of citizens 1t IL
within the province Of the SOW
erelgn ; In fact it Is made his duty to
interfere for the protection Of the sub
ject. With this view certain classes OF
products, certain staples, were for
hidden to DO monopolized. In this
view corners" As we now term them
upon wheat or other breadstuff,. were
made illegal, and within this limit we
believe lies the power Of the sovereign
lin our Government the national Con-
gress) to legislate for public protectien
upon any and all monopolies. Be-
lieving, a we do, in the existence Of
this right, we are averse to all schemes
which tend to place any business not
strictly governmental, within the con.
troll Of It's officers, or which will put
tho Government In the attitude OF q
competitor In private pursuits. II the
Government must needs have a special
telegraph line for its business, 1t has
certainly the power to build 1t, but 1t
should not thereby engage in the bus
mess Of telegraphing. save for Its own
convenience or safety. 1t Is urged that
telegraphy Is a monopoly. 10 this we
reply, that II It has become a hard
ship to tho people; II telegraphic
charges are extortionate are pre-.
judicial to the welfare Of society, the
Government should regulate them.
A State or county may abate or regu-
late a nuisance. Sumptuary laws may
be passed for the public health or con-
venience, even though they Interfere
with private property. Why then Is
not the supreme power Of this nation
qualified to regulate in like manner
any interference with the safety, con-
venience or health OF Its citizens? It Is
said that a few men control the tele-
graphic news furnished the nation ;
granted, but would 1t be any less true
II the Postmaster General ian irrespon-
sible official, ave to the President and
Senate aud his assistants had control
OF all telegraphlc communication. The
censorship, thus enabled to be exer-
cised by the Executive aud his Cabinet
officer, would, II In the hands Of un-
scrupulous aspirants for power or
spoils. In our opinion, be tenfold more
dangerous to the people than any pres
ent monopoly Of news. The argu.
ments against postal banking are even
more numerous. In doing this the
Government Of this nation would be-
stepping into the walks Of strictly prl-
vate business, IS much so as farming,
as milling, or as stock raising. And
this we not only believe lmpolitic but
against the very genius Of q Republi-
can Government. In fact It Is = step,
and a long n too, toward the pattern
al aystem to which we have latterly
been rapidly tending. 1t is against
the principle that the people least gov
erned are the best governed, which we