The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-21
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.

Those who advocate the plan of posta
/ telegraphy urge its great economy over thu
system Of individual or corporate enterprise
They claim for it a lower rate Of charges thar
has ever been adopted They say that the
government can establish and support lines
at much cheaper rates than private companies
can. Just as the Post Office Department now
, transmits mail matter at rates less than one
tenth Of those charged thirty years ago 50
they claim that when the Federal Govern
ment has taken in charge and systematized
the telegraphic business Of the country the
expense Of sending messages will be reduced
to a fifth part of what it is now.
1t is claimed that postalizing the telegraph
must work very great reduction in charges
This is not improbable, but at the same time
it Is clear that the government monopoly
would stop competition, the natural, usual
and most certain means of bringing prices to
their just level. In the long run the public
must gain by leaving telegraph companies
free to form, dissolve, compete and combine,
as their stockholders may see fit. If let alone
charges must decline, rs they have done
steadily for many years. If put under the
control Of the government they would at once
be put at rates which would barely meet the
| cost, and there the decline would stop. The
cost of public works for the government of
every description has always been far greater
than that Of similar works for private parties
This would be the case with the erection, pre-
6 ~
and this increased cost would at length fall
upon those who employ it.
The great objection to the projected meas
ure of postal telegraphy is that it will put
into the hands of the Executive a new engine |
Of power and greatly strengthen that depart
ment Of the Federal Government TO the in
creased jeopardy Of the rights and liberty Of
the people. Assume that Grant were now, as
he seems likely soon to be, in command not
only of the navy and army OF the republic,
but in control of revenues in advance for two.
five or ten years assume that he were in
law, he is i'll fact, the master Of all the
great railroad corporations Of the continent
assume that the combination Of great none
tary interests of the country had been cen
tralized in him as chief and dictator; assume
helped him to nullify the legislative powers
Of the House of Representatives assume that
the army had been quadrupled by adding men
entirely devoted to the fortunes of the Presl-
dent, and then add to all this accumulated
power the advantage of having direct and
ol,,tn 49, al 1lo Il |
the Union, with all their foreign connections
This subtle agency would give to the Presi-
dent directing and controlling power greater
than was ever before held by any potentate on
earth. With a web Of telegraphic wires, reach i
ing to every city aud town in the Union, he
could, at mlaute's warning, pat his troops
n motion and notify his agents iii a thousand
places. With such help, added to subsidized
railroads and the control of funds without ;
init, President who should choose to be =
ABSOLUTE could instantly overcome and neutral I
re all opposition. Seated at Washington, at Il
he focus Of Geographic communication, o
jassar would be. like spider in the center of q
lis web, while any subjects who might =
truggle for liberty would be but as swarms of 2
lies in his n,eshes, entangled and powerless. 7
ince our Grant has shown what a President ie
{ the United States dare do, we should be u
cry unwilling to see another so powerful an u
gency placed in hands. al
The operators and agents of the proposed =
,legraph would, of course, be of the party in
over. 1t might happen that in a State 4
Democratic the telegraph would III
e in the hands of the minions Of Radical III
resident, who would give, withhold or in o
mt such messages as they should wish, all I'll
ader the orders of central and arbitrary ~
lthority. A combination OF SPECTATORS,
It'll the consent Of the President, might 80
anage the wires as to raise or depre55 stocks ~
I'd securities to such an eXtentas to conyulse ST
e whole business OF the country, while making al
upendous fortunes for themselves. The great II
onopolists of capital who flourish during az
onetary disturbances and grow fat on panics' q,
uld very soon derange the financial affairs q
the country if allowed the exclusive use Of u
ngement they would, usual, find ways ee
d means to increase their fortunes LC
1t is supremely desirable that the General III
should be confined to its con- Al
tutonal orbit Great vigilance must be H. -.
ed in adding to its powers It is, as all se
low, strong enough for the defense Of the m,
untry in every part, and strong enough for ~
If representation Let us beware that it does sh
t become too strong to tolerate the citizen III,
his liberty, and the States in the exercise the
their reserved self-governing rights.
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lie PACIFICATION OF THE SOUTH. WI