New-York tribune., 1873-01-18

naming thirty very largo proportion was In
&C. for the rent OF offices accommodations AFFORDED
The statement, therefore. made at the commencement
OF this review that the Government was Undertaking 70
Tnn Without bene IN q either
accurate adequate information, is abund9nty con-
trmed by the evidence which has been cited
TELEGRAPH OWNERSHIP BIZ THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
INCONSISTENT WITH THE THEORY AND xAHIEsAscs
OF REPUBLICAN INSTITUTIONS
But more important aud conclusive argument
against the absorption and control of the telegraph by
the Government Is to be found in the fact that the adop
ton OF such policy Is in direct antagonsm with aud
destructive Of the fundamental principles upon which
the Government itself has been established. We
are a nation OF forty millions, made up OF indi
vlduals representing almost every nationality
and human variety, and increasing at such
ratio as will give Us AZ Of me 60 SssT SSe 81 tns pISs
approximating hundred MILLIONS Ine area OF country
Inhabited embraces extremes OF over $500 miles In direct
distance while the diversity OF character and Interest
among the people Of the different sections growing out
of differences OF SOIL climate, pursuits, and edueaton q
they are separated Language excepted the diHerent
states of Europe do not differ much among themselves
as NewYork differs to-day from Texas or South Carolina
from California. The problem OF greatest mOment.
tborafore nre sented 10 MS as nation 20 harm0niza
these varied and conflicting interests and TO unite them
all under firm and stable Government Inc Sou,Ia n1
OF a similar problem has been essayed befOre-in o,n
Rome and in modern Austria and Russa-under coDdi
tiOns OF the most centralized lmperiasm DuI Us az
fempt under republic with universal suffrage and with
no standing army something for which, apart from our
own there has been precedent for success
Whether those who framed Constitution were men
Of sperior wisdom and clearly foresaw the conditions
under which their work was 10 De tesJeu ~ mh.pI
wbie, IA here unnecessary TO discuss but that they
originated or adopted the only theory under which,
through recognition, our past success mas Deen ay
dependent seems certan and that was, that Whe ~
the essential feature OF every imperial and centraSeo
TO think Tor, act tor anu as Ia as posino
direct the pursuits and the creeds and amusemen
OF the people IL H. on the contrary the essence of re-
public composed of union OF separate Independents
states to itself as little as possible with the IN
fernai affairs OF the nation and 10 do nothing whatever
for the people which the peole are Wiling or eapaoe VI
doing for themselves And II this theory be correct tne
conclusion is irresistible that measure IKE tue one con
temptaed of absorbing aud operating the telegaph DS
toward Imperialism TO be especially resisted Dy an tsosa
who believe that whatever there lS Oh 1agvr m th
tendency OF the Federal Government TO enlarge the
sphere Of its functions and to powers hat "oa
originally never intrusted ~ H.
INCREASE OF FEDERAL PATRONAGE.
The increase Of Federal patronage incident 10 tho
adoption of under consideration constitutes
further most striking illustration In the same
direction. The number OF officers and agents. othei
than soldiers and sailors, and employees IN Government
workshops who are present in direct receipt OF com
pensaton for services from the National Treasury n
estimated at upward of 60,0O0-the number engaXee
in the POst-Otce Department alone being 1859 all o.
whom, and as many Others as by reason OF social es
tions have community Of interest, together WIN AL
such under system OF rotation ia once are eh
relied on 10 support any policy any nomination which
any administration controlling their official existence
this the story of The Pebscite" France the sub
seryiency Of all FEEDER officials prior TO tne Teosnos
to the interests Of slavery and the experience OF an our
Presidential elections are III themselves SunOen'
of illustration aud evidence. . -. 4, A.. -
ment the number recipients OF Federal paSonage 40
cordng to the following appIoAnate essin,sc M or
The number persons at present IN the exclusive ser
vice Of the Western Union aud other telegraph com
panes in the capacity operators, clerks, messen
superintendents, contractors, and reparers Is over
IO,OOO-a number much smaller than IL would De- were
there not such cooperation OF service ana prOple0r
an IN bpt
graph admits OF the employment OF railroad Onciss
by The latter at little or no expense operators or re
nsirers But under the proposed Federal system all OF
this economy of c0partnesnp must disappear ioT as
recent report OF the Post One Committee OF the House
of has It, the functions OF the Govern
ment are exclusive and whenever u formally under
taxes any service proper be exercised 10y It, private
parties must necessarily be excluded irom the perform
of the same service
Again, essential feature Of the Government scheme
Is that the POst-O1ice Department shall, as soon ~
practicable establish telegraph ohce at ever post
office in the United states the gross receipts OF which
are less than 500 annu TO De accompanied oy
free delivery by carriers OF al MESSAGES within CIR
case Of letters now pertains 70 ess % sn o onSes ID
annual receipts are OF the amount ABOVE speclnea Is az
present about $4,000; and as it Is not unreasonable 70
graphic employees, at the outset not two 20 each
ofhce-an operator and a messenger-it would not R
long before at least that number would DC lesarded as
the lowest standard Of Governmental necessity.
That, in the course Of time, the ofce OF postmaster
and telegraph operator w0uld, IN many small towns
to be filled by and the same person. thus redu
cling the number OF additional employees IN such place
TO messenger aud occasional reparer not unlikely
but that in view Of the pressure incident 70 American
politics TO create and maintain oices for political rea
sons any such practice is likely TO become general.
something altogether improbable and, as showing fur
ther how unmistakaby the drit OF political manage
present in respect to such matters, the follow
ing incident may be related During the past Summer
an application was made TO one Of the Bureaus Of thu
Government, having in charge branch OF manufactur
ing, purchase and introduce new aOor-saVlng ma
chine which private enterprise was everywhere adopt
ing The proposition was declined for the very same
that 1t madenamely. that would OCCASION
reduction in the number OF those receiving employ
ent the officer charge adding that the policy forced
upon him To employ as many, and not as few men ~
possible and that any deviation from 1t would occasion
INN annoyance and possibly forfeiture OF his situation
It will also readily suggest itself that whatever Ia
likely be gained from the employment OF postnaser
in small telegraph operators Is likely 10 be fan
than compensated by the very great increase oi
the expected increase Of business under Government
rates and management. This increase the Postmaster
General thinks would, after one year, befrom lS70Oec
he present estimate to 3O0OO0O0; Mr.. Wash
burn and Others say 100000 while the experience Of
messages per day passing between two points there
must be an additional wire, and entire new set op
orators and messengers'
1t therefore, altogether reasonable to that
the Department takes possession OF and dt
rects the telegraph service OF the country IN inc manner
proposed, the number OF additional offices which Will at
once, short time. be added TO the roll OF Fedora
patronage will equal or exceed rs OoO And II tue tleory
of the Government be correct that the people need the
spread OF intelligence that they SHOULD every
where enjoy Its use cheaply, there can be
not be made coextensive with the PostOnice
why postofce district whose annual receipts are
Sl0O should have wire and an operator, and another
contiguous district whose receipts are only little less
should deprived OF similar privileges. The plea thai
office would be remuneratye aud the other wouid
not could not be consistently offered for in neither case
would the receipts from business be likely to defray
than fraction OF the expenditures and the funda
mental idea, moreover, with which the Government
upon It's scheme s that necessities and not
penditures, are TO have the prime consideration The
scheme OF teegraphic ownership once entered upon the
logic of tue case, and the desire Of every member oi
Congress please his constituents would therefore
lead TO the extension Of the wires To every poStofce
except the smallest and cOnse lueny augment the
number OF new officials very tar beyond Jue number
already indicated.
Does it also to the Postmaster General and
others, who with him strenuous for the Govern
appropriation OF the telegraph, that every