Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-05
More about the Postal telegraph

account. Accordingly, we find it do
ing its best to perpetuate other old
things, and, among the rest, that old
abuse, the Western Union Telegraph
monopoly. 1t is the only newspaper,
by the way, in the whole State, that
takes the side of the monopoly
against the people. We can find no
sensible reason in its columns for
such a course. and can think OF none,
unless it be of perversity, which
leads some individuals always to take
the wrong side of every question. One
Of the thinnest pretenses i'll its argu-
ment % against the postal telegraph
is, that not more than 1000, 600 out Of
our 40, 000, 900 of population ever make
use of telegraphing i'll their corre-
spondence. Even ifthis were strictly
true, it is the best reason that a be
offered fora cheapening of biography.
The desire of the people is, hat tele-
graphing may lie made available for
all, by placing it within the means of
all, as the Postotlice facilities now
are. Instead of the million that o
pay high rates for the use of the
wires, twenty-five or thirty million
may be induced to use them when
the rates are lowered to a rea-
sonable standard. The effect of cheap
postage was and is to increase
correspondence, and the revenue of
the Government at the same time. SO
will a reduction in the price of tele-
graph dispatches. The pretense that
the lines may be used in "a political
contest to defeat the popular will, is
nonSensical boSh. What influence
the telegraphing Of a message from
any one, even the President himself,
could have upon the votes, or the
counting of them, which cannot be
exerted as we'll now, with the lines in
the hands Of private companies, it is
impossible to discern. There is real
danger to the rights of the people, in
the possession by a monopoly Of the
power to restrict the diffusion Of in
telligence, and circumscribe informal
ton. by a tariff OF charges beyond the
reach Of people of very limited means.
What a corporate monopoly of this
kind will do in this regard may lie
gathered from the action of the West
ern Union Telegraph managers to-
ward the Alta newspaper, which has
recently broken its letters as member
of the Associated Press, and freely
advocated the peoples measure Of a
postal telegraph. The monopoly now
discriminates in its charges for dis
patches against the Alta. Onthis sub
.ject the San Francisco Chronicle gives
the following Information
From reliable sources we learn that
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany has commenced a relentless war
upon those papers on the Pacific Coast
which have advocated the Postal
Telegraph system. The Atr Cdlif01-
MIA and the Chronicle OF San Francisco,
and the Record of Sacramento. the
three most enterpriSing and intluen.
tial Journals in California, have been
strenuous in their advocacy OF this
measure. The Alta has received.
heretofore. all the news dispatches
sent by the Associated Press, and
from all the points on the Paci-
tic Coast reached Inv the wires
of the Western Union Conlpl-
ny. Now We learn that that
Journal has been cut of hv tie
company from all local and State
news. and that it is proposed to stop
all dispatches going overland to the
Pacific. The San Francisco EuL!etin
and Sacramento Union have opposed
the postal telegraph. and in reward
for their services it is now reported
that the Western Union Telegraph
Company has been negotiating. but
unsuccessfnlly, to obtain control OF
the section of the line of the Atlantic
and Pacific Telegraph Company be-
tween New York and Omaha. for the
purpose OF cutting off from all other
papers on the Pacific coast every ave-
nue. for Eastern news. 1t will he re-
membered that the Western Union
Company pursued a like policy with
the San Francisco Herald in 1868.
The Record of Sacramento. in an ar
ticle on the subject, offers the follow
ing as food for reflection:
During the discussion Of the mat
ScfS o. issue DelWeen the Telegraph
monopoly and the Attn, it has been
stated that a certain dispatch was
charged full commercial rates to the
said journal. and that at these rates
the bill was SIG, while at the present
rates it would have been less than So.
This fact has its significance for usi-
ness men. 1t shows that thew are
charged about fifteen times as much
as the monopoly charges the press.
The inevitable inference is that they
arc made to paw the difference between
the press and the ordinary rates.
The monopoly takes care that it shall
lose nothing by its concessions 10 the
press. 1t could afford to transmit
press news for nothing on the system
it employs, for nc matter how cheaply
it carries for the papers, it makes
up the profit in the charges to
the public at large. And the
influence which this discriminating
gives it is enormous.
Ii can build up or strike down jour
nails. 1t built IN the Bulletin, it
crushed the HernM. by these means.